


The Light Behind The Darkness

by Wisdo101



Category: 2P Hetalia - Fandom, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 1p2p pruk, 2P, M/M, PrUK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 02:25:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2293523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wisdo101/pseuds/Wisdo101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver is in Berlin, Germany as an English college student studying abroad for a year. When he gets separated from a group of friends, he finds himself lost in the white forest.There are talks of a demon that kills people in the forests and like any smart person, the Brit doesn't believe the rumors- that's until he finds himself face to face with a demon and a past that he might be involved with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it!  
> ;v;

Prologue

_Kingdom of Prussia-1308_

Hatred, humiliation, and loneliness were things the young man was use to in his home.

With his unusual silvery white hair and bright red eyes, the Prussian was marked as a demon by the people of his village. He was only 10 years of age and any child that young didn't understand why people would hate him. He did his chores, went to church, and followed the rules – yet, people marked him as something evil due to his features. There were no parents there to protect the boy and the only protection he did have was the church. There he stayed in one of the rooms and cleaned in between payers to earn his meals. The people of the church knew he wasn’t a demon and named him “Gilbert Beilschmidt” since there was no name left for him as a baby. Gilbert was a quiet boy who rarely played with any of the children his age and stayed closely to the church. He made friends with the nuns and the priests, except the oldest priest who looked disappointed each time the boy looked at him. There were strict rules to follow but there were times, Gilbert defied them from time to time. He was still a child and wanted to have fun like other boys his age. Every so often, the boy will sneak off to play with the other children in the large field, being mindful of the forest that was nearby.

The young children of the village didn't think Gilbert was a demon, but when they played a game, he was always the monster that tries to catch everyone. He didn't like being called that but the fun of playing made in forget that instantly. The playing went on for hours until someone’s parents or older siblings stopped them. It ended up the same way, some older child or adult will call out to the children to stop playing with that “demon”, pointing at the innocent Gilbert. They threw rocks at him and once, tried to burn him in a farm. He always ended up running back to the church in tears, crying into the lap of one of the nuns who cooed and pet his hair.

‘Why does everyone call me ‘demon’? What did I do?’ The white haired boy exclaimed, receiving a sigh from Maria, his favorite nun who was more like a mother than anything to him. ‘My dear child, they fear how different you are. They do not see past your features and instead of seeing a bright young man, they see something inhuman.’ Gilbert wiped his eyes and buried his face in the woman’s lap more, ‘I’m not a demon! I-I’m just a person like all the other children in the village!’ Maria held his cheeks and gently wiped his tears away, ‘you are special, Gilbert. God has a plan for you as he does for all of us; you just have to continue with your head held high.’ She kissed his forehead then pulled a necklace out of her habit – it was the iron cross that signified the country of Prussia and its religion that a lot of Prussians wore. She put it around the boy’s neck and smiled, ‘That is yours to keep. Keep that to remind you that you are loved by god above all else and that you are no demon.’

The white haired boy’s watery red eyes gazed at the cross, ‘Thank you, Sister Maria... I-I’ll take good care of it!’ He did his best to give her a smile, receiving another hug, ‘I know, my dear, now come along. It’s time for evening prayer.’Gilbert wore his cross proudly and kept it nice and clean each day. It made him feel happier and Sister Maria’s words made him hold his head up higher.

* * *

One day, he was walking through the village with a bundle of wheat he was supposed to bring back to the church’s kitchen. Just like any boy, he stopped to watch a fight between a few teenagers, with a group of them cheering them on. He watched from afar but after minutes, one of the watching teens spotted him and glared. ‘What are you looking at demon?’ The threatening tone made the younger Prussian swallow a lump in his throat, ‘N-Nothing…I was just watching…’ he stepped back; preparing to make a run for it as the larger boy came walking over to him. A few others joined him and one even smirked as he spoke, ‘Seems like the little devil spawn is spying on us!’ Of course they would think that since there weren't any adults nearby to pull the boys apart. Gilbert chewed on his bottom lip then stood his ground, ‘I am not spying on you and I am no devil!’ That earned him a hard shove to the ground, making him drop the bundle on the dirty ground. The first boy that spoke to him did the shoving, giving the white haired boy a kick to the side. ‘Stop lying! What kind of person has white hair like some old man? And those red eyes are demonic! The church should have burned you at the stake years ago just like my father said!’ The words hurt worse than the kick but Gilbert didn't say anything. He didn't want to fight or cause anymore worry and trouble for Sister Maria and the rest of the church. But it was hard to resist as the group began to curse him and began to spit at him. The young Prussian slowly stood up onto his feet, getting spat at in the face but it didn't stop him. His clothing was covered in mud and manure, making his humiliation worse.

The older boys laughed at him and called him even more names now but what made Gilbert snap was the action of the main boy. He grabbed the iron cross around the smaller boy’s neck and snapped it right off his neck. ‘Oh look! The little devil is stealing crosses now! Now you’re really going to hell where you belong!’ Gilbert let out a gasp when he felt the chain break and that was made him snap, ‘Give that back! It’s mine!’ he shoved his whole body into the taller boy, making him fall, and then began to punch him. He ignored the punches he received – the angry young man was determined to get his necklace back from the bully. As they wrestled on the ground, the sound of their yelling caught the attention of some adults nearby. They came running in time to watch Gilbert bite the older boy’s wrist hard enough for him to release the necklace and drop it. He quickly grabbed it as the two of them were pulled away from each other – both of them covered in mud with busted lips and a clear black eye on the older boy. The white haired boy felt proud of that as he tucked the necklace into his pocket for safe keeping. ‘What is going on here?’

One of the men exclaimed at both of them, ‘That little devil tried to fight me when I took my necklace back!’ That was a huge lie and Gilbert had to defend himself, ‘That’s a lie! It was a gift from Sister Maria and he stole it from me!’ Though, it was hard to defend himself when all the other boys were against him and it was their word against his. The men holding him by his arm tighten his grip on the boy’s arm and shoved him away, ‘Get out of here, devil!’ Whimpering, the boy ran back to the church, receiving glares, slurs, and curses from the villagers. Gilbert wasn’t paying attention and ended up bumping into a cart, making it tip over and spill its contents. The owner of the cart yelled at him and the boy quickly apologized as he ran home, hiding in a confession booth to cry. He was there until Sister Maria found him, getting an instant hug from the boy once she opened the booth, not worrying about the mud getting on her habit.

‘Gilbert…shhh, liebe, it will be alright…’

The boy shook his head and looked up at her, 'Nein! It’s not going to be alright! The whole village hates me and wants me dead, Sister! They don’t want to make friends with me!’

'Gilbert Beilschmidt! That is no way to speak in the church!'

Reality struck the young Prussian – he knew the people wouldn't accept him and hated him. He couldn't deny the whispers and threats from the people who supposedly followed their religion. The more he thought about, the more Gilbert hated it and he had to get away from it. He pulled away from Sister Maria, ‘They all hate me and the only way they’ll stop is if I leave!’ The Prussian ran to his room,ignoring the nun's calls for him to come back, and gathered what little possessions he had – which was just his second pair of clothing, a knife, a small bag and his cross. He didn't bother with food, knowing that stealing the food rations of the church would be sinful. The boy then began to run out of the church that was his sanctuary – no one bothered him there but now he was vulnerable. As he ran off, a group spotted him and began to chase him, throwing rocks at the white haired boy, trying to get him to fall. A few of the rocks his him and he felt blood on the back of his head and on the side, but he kept running as best as he could.

The forest. He had to get to the forest knowing they will stop following him there because it wasn't safe for anyone in the forest. Gilbert didn't care; he rather die by some animal or starvation than by those people. He managed to get to the forest and ran until he could no longer hear voices of his attackers, by then he slowed his paced and eased his breathing. Stopping at a nearby creek, the young Prussian cleaned himself up and finally began to sob - he left his only home and the only person who truly cared for him without leaving a letter saying 'good bye'.Gilbert remained by the creek for the rest of the evening, barely able to sleep because of the cold and the sound of nearby wolves. He was starving and knew he wouldn't survive out here - no 10 year old can survive the woods alone without an adult who can hunt. The next morning, he was woken up by the cold morning air that made his open wounds and bruises hurt. 'I'm going to die...lord, please forgive me for running off but I couldn't stay there...' The white haired boy mumbled to himself, curling up for more for some kind of relief of the cold.

'Why do you think your are going to die?' A new voice popped up, making Gilbert blink. _I'm going mad now..I'm hearing voices..._ ,he thought, covering his ears to ignore his hallucination.'Nein, I am not believing this! I am not hearing voices!' There was a giggle, making the Prussian boy blink as the second voice spoke again,'Well, of course not silly! Open your eyes!' The young man didn't believe that there was another voice - it was the cold morning and pain that was getting to him. But he felt a presence near him and he had to make sure he really wasn't going mad. Gilbert slowly opened his eyes to be greeted with bright blue ones. Those bright blue eyes belonged to another boy with the most unusual hair color that looked white but at a closer look, it was a light pink.He was dressed in a sleeveless robe that went to his knees - but what really made him gasp was the pair of large white wings that were folded behind the pink haired boy's back.

Gilbert's red eyes widened as he stared at the other boy,'I-I'm dreaming...! Or I'm dead already!'

The new boy couldn't help but giggle,'You're not dreaming! I saw you alone here in the forest and came to see you. You look like you needed a friend and I am came!'

'A-Are you an angel...?' The young Prussian asked, staring at the other boy in awe and wonderment.The angel nodded happily,'I am a young angel in training! I am training to become an archangel like my brothers and sisters.' He smiled proudly at that and the young Prussian shook his head in disbelief,'Why would one of the Lord's angels want to bother with me? I-I'm different then other humans...they call me a devil's spawn and such cruel words that I dare not speak.' The young angel sat down next to Gilbert, showing a noticeable size difference between them,Gilbert was bigger. 'I don't see anything wrong with you. Angels care about the inside...hmm...it's what's inside a human's heart. That's what my father taught me...the whole hierarchy of angels and they way they work is really confusing."The white haired boy felt a little better at being told that, 'What's your name?'

The pink haired angel thought for a moment,'I do not have a name that is spoken here in the human world...What is your name?' Gilbert hugged his knees,'It's Gilbert...Gilbert Beilschmidt...how about I call you 'Winter' since you arrived just before it started?' The angel hummed and smiled,'Yes, you may and it's a pleasure to meet you Gilbert Beilschmidt!' The Prussian boy smiled a little bit, feeling a little awkward - he wasn't use to other people being so happy and welcoming around him. Winter wasn't human though; far from it and his aura was relaxing to be around.

'Why did you come to me of all people, Winter?'

Winter hummed,'Your soul called out for a friend and I came! I heard your speak about dying.' Gilbert sighed, hugging his knees,'It's a given now...I can't hunt nor can I build a fire or home for myself.' Being a skinny ten year old made it hard to do things that an older boy or an adult can do. 'Well, then we'll have to change that!' The young angel stood up again, stretched out his wings and raised his hands up - in seconds, a small home, with fresh food inside, appeared beside the creek.'My gift to you, Gilbert, for being my first friend! It has the essentials a human needs and will last until you're strong enough to hunt and keep it up!' The white haired boy stared in shock as he slowly got up and walked over to the small hut,touching to make sure it was real. He smell fresh food inside which made his stomach growl and felt the warmth of a small fire.'W-Winter...thank you so much...' He hugged his new angel friend, who happily returned the hug,'You're welcome! It is my duty to help a friend in need, Gilbert, and I don't want my friend to suffer!' The two of them headed inside and after their prayers, the two of them began to enjoy their feast.

The young angel began to visit his human friend each day, enjoyed meals with Gilbert, and began to talk about all sorts of things.The explored the forest and both learned about the area together. Winter's presence made Gilbert forget his troubles and his confidence started to come back to him. The pink haired angel taught him how to be proud of his odd features because in his home, his hair is unusual to most of the angels, but they still accepted him anyways. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months as the two of them became close friends; Gilbert survived the winter that he was so sure that will end his life. But by their second winter time, Winter announced he had to go return home to finish his training,making the Prussian boy frown.

'You can't go now,Winter! I don't have any other friends!; He pleaded to the angel,who in returned in gave a sad smile.'Gilbert..,I don't want to go either but I must...I want to be come a stronger angel to protect you! The food will last you for a long time and I know you'll want to get big and strong too! I'll return as soon as I can...' Gilbert didn't want to be alone again. He was just getting use to have a friend but he knew that the angel had to leave eventually.Sighing softly, the boy pulled his iron cross out of his pocket and handed it out to Winter,'I want you to have this...keep it as a promise to come back.'

The angel blinked,'Gilbert...I can't take this. It's yours!'

'So? I want you to take it and when you come back, you can give it back.'

Winter hesitated for a moment before gently taking the cross,'I'll take good care of it.' He kissed Gilbert's cheek,causing the older boy to blush a little,'Good bye, Gilbert...' He stretched out his wings and began to fly of,disappearing into the sky.Gilbert whispered his own 'good bye' and stared up at the sky for a long time before heading into his small home.

* * *

7 years passed after that and no sight of the pink haired angel,not a small sign of Winter returning. The Prussian,still full of hope, learned how to hunt, store food, and take care of himself - he became a strong young man, which was a much bigger difference then his skinny child self. He never went back to his old village, knowing they would recognize him because of his distinct features. Gilbert took the two day trip to a different village for his clothing and to makes trades. His features weren't a burden to him anymore but there was always one or two people who will catch sight of his red eyes and quickly freak out about it. Gilbert didn't let the words 'demon' or 'devil spawn' bother him as much as it did when he was child but it still irked him every now and then.It was late Autumn again and he was preparing for the coming cold season knowing it's going to be bad when it hits the country. His red eyes were full of hope each time he went outside and stared at the sky, hoping his angel friend would return to him. The Prussian man didn't give up so easily but he began to think that the angel had forgotten him so he just continued his work. Gilbert was outside gathering wood for the night when the young voice came,'You've grown!; The Prussian recognized the voice instantly despite it being a little bit more mature then he remembered it. He turned around and there was his friend - the angel still looked younger than him and his robe was a little longer than it was. Winter's wings were much bigger than before, pure white as fresh snow, his hair was still that pinkish white, and this time he was decorated in gold earrings, necklace,and wrist cuffs that gleamed against the sun. What made Gilbert happy though, was that the pink haired angel still had that sweet,innocent look in his face and eyes.

"Winter....?"

Gilbert instantly hugged the angel, who in returned hugged back,"It's archangel Winter now and it is so good to see you after so long, Gilbert! Please forgive me for not coming back sooner."He looked up at the white haired man; the angel's voice was more soft and whimsical, which made the taller male feel at ease."I do forgive you, Winter, I do! I thought you have forgotten me but I never lost hope on seeing you again."

"I know, Gilbert....I felt your hopefulness and it helped me get through my training...now look at me!" The angel stretched out his large wings proudly,making Gilbert step back in amazement."I am now an archangel in charge of protecting humans!" 

The Prussian man sighed and couldn't help but be proud of his friend.It made him even more happier and hug him again,"I'm proud of you,Winter." Winter hid his wings,a new trick he learned,and hugged Gilbert back."Danke, Gilbert...Oh! That reminds me!" He dug a hand into his robe and pulled out the shiny iron cross that had a new silvery chain,"I took care of it like I promised."Slipping it off and putting it around Gilbert's neck, the young male angel,smiled up at his human friend."There. Now it completes you, Gilbert Beilschmidt, take good care of it as I have taken care of it." A small blush came across Winter's cheeks as he gazed at the iron cross on it's original owner's neck.

A soft sigh of relief came out of the taller man as he was reunited with his most prized possession. It had so much meaning to him with it being a gift from Sister Maria, the words of encouragement she gave him, and with Olichen taking good care of it. 'Actually,' the taller man took the cross off and put it back on Winter's neck,'I want you to keep it...it suits you.' Gilbert  blushed a little since he was now the happiest man he could be and he couldn't help but chuckle and hug Winter once more.'Come on,we have much to to talk about.'

He led them inside the home that he made bigger throughout the years and began to catch up n the years like old friends did.The Prussian's smile never left as the angel told him about his training and life back home, in return, he did the same and told about how he definitely turned his life better than he thought it would be. The fact that he was different in looks and considered inhuman by the other humans didn't matter because how many people can say they're best friends with an archangel? Winter stayed for a few weeks, telling Gilbert he can stay longer and didn't have to keep leaving each night and coming back in the morning. The white haired man was glad because he couldn't stand to be away from the angel for long - in fact, he almost grew selfish and wanted the sweet, innocent angel to continue to stay with him. Was it wrong that he was starting to fall for an angel? Gilbert's faith wasn't as strong as it was when he was a child but it was there because of Winter. He couldn't deny the way his heart fluttered each time that gentle voice spoke his name or when the angel looked at him with such an innocent and bright look in his eyes. Winter still had a boyish look to his features that showed he didn't age as fast as the human man who had a more masculine chin, longer hair and muscles. The Prussian man felt as if the angel would break if he touched him since he looked so fragile compared to himself. But still...he wanted Winter for himself - he brought happiness, security, and love to the Prussian's life that he's never had before. 

One night, the two of them were sitting on a small hill looking out at the land that it overlooked with nearby villages. Winter assured Gilbert that no other human can see them if someone came walking by. The two of them grew closer to each other to the point where they sat close enough to brush against each other.'Winter? May I ask you something? It's been troubling me for quite some time now.'

'What is it?'

'I know of angels and everything in heaven,but how am I able to see you? I learned that angels were beings that did their work in silence without humans seeing them...'

The angel hummed and thought for a moment before speaking,'Well, it's because I chose to let you see me. Up in heaven, it's a whole different world with angels born on earth and up there. We have families and our jobs are to guide and help humans on the right paths as well as fight demons that try to corrupt them. I chose to let you see me because...well, because you look like you needed a friend as much as I did. Back home, I was sheltered a lot and when I finally got the chance to leave, I came here...I met you and it gave me a reason to return to earth. I had a friend who was as lonely as me...'

Gilbert sighed softly and smiled,'I am glad you came and helped me that day, Winter...' The Prussian gently took the angel's hand and kissed his fingers,'You saved me from a cruelness that made me believe I really was alone in life...and showed me kindness, along with love.'

Winter's cheeks turned a reddish pink at the gesture and words, making him stumble over his own words,'Gilbert...? You really mean that?' The white haired man held the angel's cheek, his red eyes were filled with love and a hint of lust.'I do, Winter...I've fallen hard in love with you...no one has made me feel wanted and accepted as you have. You see me as a person and not as a demon as everyone has for years.' He was actually nervous as he spoke to the other male for so many reasons and was afraid of rejection. 'I..,have my feelings for you as well...you were on my mind day and night for those long years and when I saw you again, my heart sang. I fell in love with you despite me deny- ' Instantly, the Prussian kissed the angel, pulling him closer until their bodies pressed together with Winter slowly returning the kiss. Even with the kiss, Gilbert was gentle with the younger male,running his fingers through the soft pinkish white hair and tasting his lips through the kiss. Like any human, the feeling made it down to his groin, making his trousers tighter.'Winter...may I have you? I want to make you mine...my love, my Winter...'

A soft gasp came from the angel,'Gilbert...' He hid his wings and laid out on the soft grass,letting the Prussian man have a good view of him,'Fill me with your essence...please make me yours...'. That innocent look,mixed with desire in the smaller male's blue eyes made the larger man groan. He had to be gentle with Winter, giving a gentle grind into him. Winter felt the other man's arousal and shakily helped Gilbert remove their clothing until they were both bare as newborns. Kissing, gentle rubs, and the stroking of their aroused members caused moans from both males. The penetration hurt Winter but he recovered quick and relaxed,gasping as he felt Gilbert push deep into him. Limbs entangled, lips locked, and the passionate love making made both of them pleased. They both climaxed together making it official that they were now each other's through body, mind and soul. That night,they slept nakedly under the stars in each others embrace, both full of love,happiness and the sexual high. 

Their sleep was cut short the next morning by a deep voice full of disgust,making both angel and human wake up.  Standing above them was another angel, with distinct golden blond hair, same white robes, but with six wings - the mark of a Seraph - spread out in anger. Winter immediately gasped,'Father...!' Gilbert saw the new angel and gave a low,sleepy growl,'Get dressed. Both of you!' The voice was commanding and the young males quickly scrambled to get dressed  - it was harder for the pink haired angel because his body still felt like jelly from their activities last night.Once Winter has his robes on, he yelped as two of his siblings grabbed his arms and flew up into the sky above them,forcing him to brings his wings out to keep from falling. Gilbert didn't like how his new love was being handled and he quickly stood up once his trousers were on.'What is the meaning of this? We did nothing wrong!'  He demanded,his red eyes full of instant anger and not carrying that the presences of the older angel was a little overwhelming to the white haired human

'What makes you have the right to yell at me, human? I've been watching the both of you and your vulgar activities last night has earned you both punishment.'

'For what?!'

Winter whimpered and pleaded with his father,'Father, please! It was my fault! I just wanted to help Gilbert and save him from dying as a child!'

'Yes, and did far more than you should have done. You were suppose to help him that one time and that's it! Not go and spend your time on this bastard of a human!' The younger angel tried to pull away from his siblings' grip but to no avail.'I love him okay? Gilbert needed someone as much as I did and we make each other happy!' Seeing his sweet young angel plead and defend them made the Prussian's heart ache. He wanted to hold him, kiss him and tell him everything will be alright but he couldn't.'There was plenty of willing angels back home that you could of taken as a lover and mate back home. How dare you dirty your hands with filth like this human who was an outcast among his own people!'

That made Gilbert growl. He was about to attack the older angel but two more angels appeared to hold the human back, making him growl even more. His red eyes were dark as they pinned at Winter's father.The older angel glanced at him and held the man's chin,'You really do have eyes like a demon....' he then kicked Gilbert in the stomach, making the white haired man gasp and double over. 

'Now punishment for both of you.' The golden haired angel didn't look at his youngest son as he spoke,'Perhaps your weren't ready to be an archangel as I thought you would be...' A sword made of pure light appeared in the Seraph's hands and Winter's eyes widen in fear, making him cry and squirm,'No! No! Please, father don't do this! Please!' The young archangel nearly screamed in fear, making Gilbert groan as he watched,his own eyes widening as the scene. He didn't like what was happening; his sweet young love was begging for mercy and all he could was watch. 

'As my duty as a Seraph and as your father, I shall perform the only punishment that our people can truly get; death.' In seconds, the sword was thrust into the young angel's body, causing Winter to gasp,  blood filled the young angel's mouth and his robes quickly stained red with blood. Every inch of his body burned and he couldn't do anything but cry. Gilbert stared in horror as he watched his lover's body began to burn in flames with the sounds of painful screams and Gilbert's name being called out in desperation, until there nothing left but a pile of burnt feathers in front of him. 'Winter...? WINTER! N-No! No!' The angels that held him released the Prussian and he shakily crawled over to pick up the burnt feathers that was once his lover's,feeling sick to his stomach as they turned to dust in his palms.'W-Winter.....!' Tears pricked his red eyes and the inner pain of loss hit him hard; _my Winter...my liebe..._ ,he thought. Gilbert glared darkly at the Seraph who was wiping his sword,the Prussian instantly tackled the Seraph off guard, gripping his neck tightly.'How dare you! He was your son!' Dark red eyes stared down at indifferent blue ones as he snapped,'Winter was innocent and you punish him for loving someone?! What in god's name is wrong with you?'

The Seraph's other children came to grab the human off their father but he held a hand to stop them.'Both of you were naive. Too young to know what's at stake here.' He easily threw Gilbert off him,pinning him down to the ground - it didn't make Gilbert stop though. What was filled with love and care was replaced by anger and the urge to kill the Seraph who killed his sweet Winter.'You truly do have eyes like a human...and your heart is still unclean. What makes you think you had any chance with my son?' In the old angel's eyes, there was a hint of sadness for his lost of his youngest child,'This is our rules and you wouldn't understand any of them.'

'If your rules include killing an innocent young angel, then to hell with all them!' The Prussian snarled, trying to kick the Seraph off of him. 'Very well then,' the Seraph stood up, holding Gilbert up by the next,'If you want to act like a demon then live as one.'There was a shock through the Prussian's body, causing him to yell and gasp for air - it felt like his breath was being suck right out of his body. It was too much for him and Gilbert passed out from whatever the Seraph as doing to him.

Hours passed before the Prussian came to but his body felt heavy. In fact, it didn't feel like his body and when his vision became clear, he gasped when his hands were turned into long, black claws.There other things that made his body feel heavy as he slowly moved to his feet,moving to the creek that turned in a small river throughout the years.Gilbert took one look at his refection and gasped - his eyes were fully red now, there were horns protruding out on both side of his head, a barbed tail, and his teeth were jagged like a carnivorous animal. The only thing that looked human on him was his face, body and legs - but to the common eye, he was in fact, a monster.'N-No..! No!' he yelled but the sound that came out was not human but of a shrieking beast.A Demon. That was what he was turned into and his anger came back as he remember the Seraph and other angels, making him growl like animal and throw a large rock at a tree. He walked back to the hill, still seeing the scenes that happened there as clear as day - he tender moment,the lovemaking, watching his sweet love burn. Gilbert knelt down in front of the pile of feathers that still remained,spotting his iron cross necklace.The Prussian hesitated before picking it up,'Winter...', the man began to mourn for the lost of the one person who made him feel accepted in a world that outcast him. A passing by man spotted him, coming over to see if he was alright,but the moment the man saw Gilbert glare, he yelped and screamed out 'demon!'. Demon...demon...,the Prussian stood up and grabbed the human by the neck,'Stay out of my forest if you know what's good for you.'He let of the man and watched as he scrambled to his feet and run back to the village.

All hope and care that Gilbert had, died with Winter that day. All the Prussian demon felt now was anger, hatred, and vengeance...he wanted blood. If those damned angels want him to be a demon, he was going to be the most terrifying demon they ever seen. All humanity in the newly transformed demon was gone and he was going to be the nightmares that everyone talked about. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and liking it! ;v;

Berlin, Germany

706 years later…

Winter came early this year. Roughly in the middle of November, the whole country was covered in a white blanket of snow. It didn’t matter to the demon though – they were all the same to him year after year. The only reason why he liked it was because it made it easy to kill wandering humans that got lost in his forest. Seven centuries of watching the world around him change dramatically, watching humans kill each other, build up their cities and tearing them down. Everything was the same for the silver haired demon who watched from a far. His hatred for humans grew throughout the long years, especially when they sang of praise to angels and hated those who weren’t like the majority of the group. They weren’t a bother to him unless some stupid fool stepped into the forest and got lost, becoming the demon’s next victim. Watching the humans scream as he approached him and the way their blood splattering against the ground gave him a deep pleasure. He did this because he knew each human he killed, it would make those damn feathered being up in heaven annoyed. The demon didn’t kill that many humans – one or two of them within the month and the rest he would scare into leaving.

Still, it made all watching angels pissed off but none of them stopped him and he always pondered at that. During his years, the silver haired demon learned new tricks to scare people who came into the forest. He figured out his speed was faster, he can change into smoky shadow with just his bright red eyes showing, and he learned much more tricks that often take a toll on his energy. The first two were usually the ones he used to scare his victims. The demon learned how to use his heighten senses to hunt – the Seraph that changed him may have put the curse on him but it gave the demon an advantage. He ate whatever animal he can catch and still stayed in his home that was left unchanged since the day he built it. He tends to ignore his past life as a human – it wasn’t because the demon forgotten it but it was because there was too many painful memories. Memories that he wish to forget so to whoever got lucky to speak to him, they would call him ‘Alptraum’; Nightmare. So he would address himself as that to anyone unlucky human who crossed paths with him. A new sound off to the distance caught his attention and the demon listened closely to the voices.

There was laughter and jokes being told, making him chuckle darkly, “Foolish young adults. It doesn’t matter what century or year it was, they were all the same…naïve and stupid.” The snow began to fall again as the creature shifted to his smoke form and began to stalk the group of voices.

* * *

 

Oliver was one of the few English college students to study in Berlin, Germany which proved to be more of a challenge than he thought. He only knew the simple phrases in German, thank god for the German class he has, and he didn’t know anyone else there. He was given is own dorm that he didn’t have to share with anyone and a weekly allowance to keep him going. Not that he needed the currency; there were a lot of German students that will offer him to buy him food or a drink. The 22 year old man didn’t drink that much alcohol, which shocked a lot of the residents there, but the food was always a definite ‘yes’ for him. He’s been in Germany for three months and he was still getting use to everything there. He managed to make a small group of friends that like his odd cotton candy pink hair and the way he wore three earrings. Upon arriving at the university, Oliver got stares and people asking if it was dyed. He always had to reassure people that it was, in fact, natural. He liked his pink hair despite him being the only person in his family to have it and the looks he got. It made the Englishman unique, along with his effeminate looks. So far, Oliver’s life in Germany was doing pretty well, even though he did feel homesick every now and then. He would always call his mother a few times during the week and she would send him care packages with his favorite snacks. So it wasn’t so bad – plus, he had an interest group of friends to keep him busy. Class was out for the next two months because of the upcoming holidays and he got invited to a few family dinners, so he decided to stay in Berlin. His days were spent during a small café job he got to earn some extra cash to buy presents next months, or going out with friends. He joined a few of his friends one chilly Saturday afternoon outside of town, wondering who in god’s name decided to meet up like this.

The so called ‘leader’ of their group of 5 people, was a dark blond man named Jack who had sort of a punk look to him, had them all gathered out near the forest. It was as white as the rest of the area and spooky since the trees were darker in the colder months. “Jack what are we doing out here? It’s freezing!" Annie, a short woman with long, light brown hair spoke up, looking around the quiet area.

The blond man next to her was Ludwig, Oliver’s first friend he made, “Ja, why can’t we meet up at a pub or cafe like normal people?” The darker blond man shook his head, “I’m leaving back home next week and I want to have some fun before myself and all the rest of you disperse back home.” He came and wrapped his arm around Oliver’s shoulders and patted one of them, “And, Oliver here has never heard about the story behind this forest here.”

The pink haired Brit looked at the huge forest then back at Jack, “It looks like a normal forest to me. What’s so special about it?”

“Easy! There’s an old story behind the forest about a shadow that kills whoever steps into the forest. People go in but no one comes out and there’s always a human body found mangled and ripped to shreds in. There’s no trace of any other DNA so everyone speculates that it’s some vicious animal in there.” That made shivers run down Oliver’s spine and him ending up chewing his bottom lip. He didn’t like scary stories, especially ones that were tied to dark forest – or abandoned homes and theme parks. He didn’t believe them but they still gave him the creeps just thinking about it. The others tried to make the blond man change his mind and encourage him to go to a pub but he didn’t listen.

“Don’t be pussies! We’ll go in for a little while, in a straight path, and we’ll follow our footsteps back. Then we can go to a café and I’ll buy everyone coffee.”

It was too late to back down now since Jack was already fixing his jacket and heading towards the forest. The rest of the group followed slowly but the pink haired man hesitated.

“Mmm…”

“Oi, Olive, hurry up!"

He was so going to regret this later on. Oliver slipped his hood on, zipped up his jacket, and then took a deep breath as he joined the rest of the group into the forest. Since the other two guys decided to tease them, the only girls of the group were at the Brit's side, hugging his arms Well, now I know I can run off so easy, he thought to himself as he walked. The forest didn't seem so bad - the quietness and the sound of birds that stayed made it a little relaxing. But his bright blue eyes still looked around cautiously for any sign of trouble. There may not be any ‘killer shadows’ but there were large animals that are territorial. Oliver looked back and could barely see the opening that they entered from. It made him groan softly and looked up ahead at his idiot friend who made them come in here.

“J-Jack, I think we’ve gone far enough!” Louise, the taller of the two women who had short black hair, called out stopping her walk, which made Oliver and Annie, stop as well.

Ludwig stopped and Jack, who sighed, reluctantly stopped walking as well. Ludwig nodded in agreement, “Yea, man, let’s just head back to the car now.” The dark blond German rolled his eyes, “Don’t tell me you guys are getting scared already! We’re not even close to the good part of the forest!”

Oliver shook his head, “Jack, you of all people should have known it wasn’t safe out here! Now let’s head back home!” Jack was intimidating compared to the Brit – standing at 6’2, making the 5’7 young man a little uneasy. The taller man stepped forward to the Brit, making the girls move to stand aside next to their other friend. Out of instinct, Oliver stepped back, making Jack smirk, “Don’t even try to fight back! We both know whose going to lo-“He was interrupted by a deep growled nearby, making all five of the adults there flinch and look around. Along with the sound of the growl, there was the sound of branches breaking and a snarl that sounded closely to a hungry predator.

The demon was enjoying toying with these gullible young fools. Every little sound he did made them flinch and huddle together in a group, scared shitless over nothing. He decided to go after the slowest group, not really in the mood for a chase. He just wanted to see some kind of blood being spilled this evening and already made plans to do away with the corpse. He appeared close enough for them to see him, looking like a normal man at first. Jack eased up when he saw the human looking demon, “See? It’s just another person roaming in here too! Stop being such pussies.” He stepped forward towards the demon, but was greeted with glowing red eyes. The claws, curved horns, and tail came into view and a twisted smiled came across its face.

"I-It’s not a human!”One of the women shrieked, making Jack swear and the rest of the group running back towards the entrance.

Oliver, who was in the back of the group, was bombarded by his bad and he had to quickly pick up his feet to run. It was hard running in the snow and it started to fall again, making it harder to see but the group kept running. The Brit was never a good runner and running while trying to keep your hood on was slowing him down. Everyone else was trying to get away, looking back at the demon that was getting closer to his running prey. Oliver was freaking out – he was lagging behind and the cold was slowing him down. Soon, his group was far too ahead and he tried to call out to them, tearing up in fear as he heard the demon growl. _I’m going to be demon chow!_ , Oliver thought, but his thought made him forget where he was going and he tripped over a broken log. Yelping, the young man tumbled to the hard snowy ground, groaning in pain. Crying, he screamed out when the demon stopped its running and came towards him – the only thing Oliver could do was try to crawl away, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.

The demon watched as the group ran of, beginning his chase after them. He knew there was going to be one that will lag behind and when that hooded person fell, he gave a pleased purr. His running slowed to a walking pace as he cracked his claws, readying them for tearing up this human's flesh - soon he will have blood staining the freshly fallen snow. He stepped on the crawling human, forcing him down to the ground and unable to move from his spot. A few more cracking of the fingers, the amused demon rolled the human over onto their back with his foot and his claws came down to rip at their throat.

Oliver yelped in more pain as he felt the demon step on him, feeling the weight that was pressed down on him. He was terrified and crying now, thinking that he was going to die.This is my end! I'm going to die in a German forest and no one will be able to find my body! The Brit's body froze as he felt the foot forcing him onto his back,closing his eyes and crying more as the demon moved. But the expecting pain never came but he didn't risk opening his eyes to look at what happened; but the silence was nerve racking and Oliver slowly opened his eyes, staring up at a shadowy like figure with glowing red eyes. 

His claws were just inches from the human's neck when he instantly stopped and tensed up. _It can't be..._ ,the demon thought, staring at the human in shock and disbelief. The pink hair, bright blue eyes, and innocent look in the human's face - it was his love, there couldn't be any doubt about it and there he was about to kill this person. 

"Winter...?" He whispered, moving his hand to hold the human's cheek but was instantly rejected by a flinch.The Brit, on the other hand, was trying to get away from the demon, despite him stopping his attack. "Winter..." Oliver couldn't understand the German that was desperately being said to him and when the demon tried to touch him again, he gasped and blacked out. Fear and exhaustion took over the young man's body. The demon couldn't help but stare at the unconscious human, gently touching his cold cheek and doing his best not to cut the porcelain skin.

"There was no doubt about it, this is my Winter...my love..." 

The white haired demon gently picked up the pink haired human, holding close to keep him warm, then walked him back towards the entrance. While the group, scared and desperately trying to find their friend, wasn't looking, he laid the pink haired man near the car. He kicked the car to get their attention and disappeared, watching the four other human scramble to gather the unconscious young man.

 _I have to see you again..._ ,the demon thought before disappearing back into the thick forest.

* * *

 

Dreams were always interesting, especially Oliver's dreams. Whenever he had some detailed dream, he would wake up feeling as if he was remembering an old memory. Since he had odd dreams that were hard to explain, the young man kept a journal and wrote about them. There were times he wrote about flying in the sky and other times when he wrote about a land he's never been to in full detail. His parents always told him he just had a creative imaginations, but to Oliver, the dreams felt real as if they actually happened. This time, it was hardly a dream but snippets of images that ended in a blaze of fire before he woke up and gasped.

"Easy there! You're safe!" Annie's voice was gentle as she gently laid him back down. When his vision came to, he was in a warm bed - a bandage was on his cheek and forehead but above all, the Brit was alive.

"Mmf...wh-what happened...?"

Ludwig, who was sitting at the desk, folded his arms and sighed,"Well, we were attacked by something and somehow you got separated from us as we ran off. We thought you got lost but you ended up back at the car, unconscious. Mind telling us what happened?" His mind was fuzzy and he hardly remembered much-only that he was running and confronted by something before blacking out."I think I saw that demon...it was just a shadow with red eyes..."The Brit wasn't going to mention how the demon began to speak to him and tried to touch his cheek.

Annie shook her head,"If you did,then you're lucky it didn't kill you!"She hugged the smaller man close,"We should have ran back for you the moment we saw that you were missing. But Jack was being an ass and wouldn't let us go looking for you.

"Remind me to punch him in the face later then." The Brit mumbled, sighing as he sat up and was handed glass of water,"Where is he now?"

The blond man sighed,"Louise and him went to the store to grab something to eat. Right now, we're at my parent's house. It was the closest place to stop at when we saw that you were injured...my mother nearly bite out heads off when she found out what were were up to." That made Oliver chuckled softly,"Thanks, Ludwig, and sorry for taking over you bed."

"It's fine, Oliver. Just relax, okay?"

"I will, I will..." He mumbled, setting the glass back down and laying down. The pink haired man's head throbbed with a headache and too many thoughts that started to pop into his mind. Why did the demon call him 'Winter'? Why didn't he just kill him there? Not that he was ready to die, but the Brit was inclined to think that every victim was killed without any hesitance. Oliver sighed heavily and let sleep take over again; _maybe sleep can make these thoughts go away_ , the thought.

Oliver was asleep for a good 3 hours with very little dreaming accept those same snippets of images of some blurry figure of a man and fire. He still didn't understand what those images meant but they kept repeating until he finally woke up.He woke up close to 8 pm to the sound of laughing coming from the kitchen,he yawned and slowly pulled himself out hid bed, fixing his sweater before heading out of the room. All four of his friends were in the living room, talking about random things over a few beers - the smell of something cooking in the kitchen made him want to go there first. He was starving and hope dinner would be ready soon as he joined the others on the couch.

"He's alive!" Was the first thing Jack said, making the Brit glare at him,"Don't start, Jack. I am not happy with you for this whole evenings and you ruined a good Saturday afternoon with your stupid trip."

The dark blond man rolled his eyes and leaned over to ruffle the soft pink hair,"Easy there, Kiddo. I got my ass handed to me bu Louise and Ludwig already so I'm sorry for today. I'll make it up to you, I promise." The smaller male rolled his eyes and smacked the other man's hand away,"Next time you decided to drag us along on some crazy thing like this, we're going to leave your butt there and go somewhere else." That received a roll of the eyes, making Oliver angry-Jack was so careless and one day, he's seriously going to get all them in big trouble one day. He didn't let it get to him tonight and instead, went on to enjoy the rest of his evening with his friends with no one bringing up any detail about what happened in the forest. They were all alive and okay, so they left it at that - but Oliver couldn't help but think about that shadowy figure that spoke to him in the forest.

Meanwhile, back in the forest, the demon was restless since that encounter with the human. The human with the same features as his lost love with minor difference like the slightly mature look in his face.But that innocent, terrified look was the same as the day he lost Winter to the archangel's despicable father,making him whimper softly. Each time he thought about that Seraph,the demon snarled and the urge to rip his damn wings off grew higher. He never wanted to see Winter cry, hurt or sad and seeing the angel like that made hurt deep inside his chest. But since he saw that human, the demon's heart began to beat again and a warmth inside him returned to his cold body. He had to see him again but didn't want to scare the human so he ignored it and resumed his hunt for dinner. This was definitely an eventful day for him and wondered if he was really going mad and started seeing things. The red eyed demon agreed on that - it made him feel better and continue the evening.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \ o 7o/
> 
> Thank you for reading and taking the time to look at it! It means a lot to me!

Annie drove him back home after dinner, reminding Oliver to call her tomorrow to make sure he was doing alright. His headache went down after he ate but everyone didn't want to risk him getting sick. The Brit still wanted to punch jack though for putting him through such an ordeal and planned on doing so when he wasn't half asleep and dazed.

That whole Saturday night, back in the little housing apartment Oliver stayed in, was spent thinking about the whole afternoon. He didn't understand why that shadow spoke to him, or if it was a figment of his imagination – _No, it couldn't fake if I felt the foot that stepped on me and turned me over_ , he thought, nor would I heard such a distinct voice coming from it either. He should just stop thinking about since everything was over now and he was safe in his bed. But Oliver couldn't help but think about the shadowy demon that repeated the word ‘winter’. _Was it a name? A code name for someone?  Or the only word the demon knew?_

Oliver sighed, staring up at the ceiling – the cat that he was allowed to have, currently name Rose after it kept meowing during an episode of Doctor Who one night, came purring up to him. “You’re lucky I am here. I could have been dead in a forest right now…” He mumbled, petting the feline’s head as she purred even louder at the attention. The pink haired man decided to sleep for now and decide on what to do in the morning, for now he needed rest.

* * *

In the morning time, the Brit woke up at precisely 7 am and couldn't go back to sleep. He felt like he didn’t get enough rest but his body was up and he couldn’t knock out asleep again. What bugged him, though, was that he didn't have any dreams what’s so ever – which were odd for someone who dreams a lot. Rolling out of bed and heading to the bathroom, Oliver headed into the shower and decided he would go back to the forest. If that demon, or whatever it is, is really out there, maybe he’ll come again? Oliver hoped he would since it wasn’t snowing and not terribly freezing outside today. After a shower, dressing in warm clothing,fresh bandages and a small breakfast, the Brit was out the door. It was easy getting around Berlin since he knew the bus and train system now and he knew how much it was to get on both. A 20 minute bus ride and 5 minute walk was all it took to get to the forest that people warned him about all the time.

He looked around and then sighed softly, “Well, here goes nothing…”

Oliver was scared and nervous about what he was doing but was determined to prove to himself that the demon was a fraud. Maybe it was and he was going mad? Who knows? All he wanted was some answers to the questions bubbling in his mind.

Morning time always made the forest seem more serene than any time during the day for the demon. With a blanket of snow covering it, most humans stayed out of it, making it easier for him to walk around without being interrupted. Any human he did come across, he would finds ways to make them leave immediately. The demon took the morning time to think and relax – his life wasn’t an easy one despite how it may seem. Hundreds of years of the same routine; day in and day out, was a terrible bore for him. There were days where the thought of leaving the forest came to mind, but he just couldn’t leave the forest. Even though years have changed it dramatically, there were places, untouched by humans that reminded him of the happier times in his human life.The red eyed demon shook his head and continued his walk in silence, fixing the ragged scarf that was around his neck. It was a relaxing morning walk until he sensed someone walking nearby and a soft voice calling out.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" Oliver didn't expect an answer, but it couldn't help but test it out first. He stopped and looked around, expecting something to come out and scare him - his fear was building up and it made him shiver.

The demon slowly headed towards the voice and stopped a good distance away to spot the pink haired man looking around."Impossible..."He whispered,not expecting anyone in the forest this early and surely not the human from yesterday. Denying the human was the only thing he can do to stop himself from going and hugging him close. So, the demon answered back in English,"You shouldn't be here. Leave."His voice was cold, hoping it would make the young human leave.

The Brit flinched, not expecting answer like that,"I-I'm not leaving...I have questions and you're the only one who can answer them!"

A growl came from the demon,"I do not have time for ridiculous questions from a human. Leave or will make you leave!"

"Mmf...look here! Who or what ever you are, I-I am not leaving!" _Mein gott, this human was persistent_ ,the demon thought,"What could a human possibly want with me? I am the alptraum of the forest, feared by humans who dwell too long in this forest. What makes you think you're so different from them?" The demon growled lowly."I'm not any different than anyone else...but I doubt you let just anyone free like you did with me." Damn, that human had a point and it made the demon groan. As much as he tried to deny it, he truly wanted to know about this human who looked like a splitting image of Winter.

"You'll get scared of how I look like you did yesterday." He warned,"Not unless you try to kill me again." Damn, this was a stubborn human to deal with."Fine.But don't say I didn't warn you..."

Oliver was actually talking to another voice! Maybe he was going crazy...but maybe not? The German accent was different than what he was use to hearing  around the city, so maybe this demon was real? But what came walking out of hiding sure did give him a shock - standing a few feet from the Brit was what looked like a normal man at first. But he had blackened claw like hands, a black tail, snowy white hair, and black horns that curved behind his pointed ears. The only thing that looked familiar were the red eyes that had no white pupils and were almost curved like a cat's eye. The pink haired man softly gasped and took a step back, staring at the demon that was in front of him.Despite the off features, Oliver can easily tell the demon was a man in his late 20's with a define chin and the young look to his face. He stood a foot taller than the 5'7' Englishman, probably nearly 6'2 or so. He had old clothing on that was definitely not winter clothing but it didn't seem to bother him as he came walking out.

"S-So this is what you really look like,huh? Not the shadowy figure I saw yesterday...?"

The demon didn't move from his stop as he folded his arms and gazed at the other male."Nein. That was another form of mine;used for traveling faster and quicker kills. you should consider yourself lucky, human, you got to see me like that without dying afterwards." His words were bitter as he smirked darkly at the pink haired human."So you found me, now what do you want?"

He sure is rude,Oliver thought,"I came to ask what stopped you from doing me in? And why did you keep repeating the word 'winter' to me?" He huffed at the demon, feeling determined to get his answers but also scared. The Brit had to be careful around this demon otherwise he really will end up being dead.

A growl came then a 'straight to the point' answer,"I didn't feel like killing you and you remind me of someone with that name. There. You got your answers now leave."

"No way! You're lying just to get me to leave!"

"Well, aren't you a smart one."The demon rolled his eyes,giving annoyed look at the human,"I am busy so go back to wherever you came from. I gave you an answer so you may leave now." He turned away and waved Oliver off. 

Oliver was getting annoyed with this demon and definitely wasn't ready to back down just yet."Look! I just want my questions answered properly and I'll get out of your hair once you answer them fully! Then you won't have to be bothered by me!" The red eyed demon growled more and looking back at the young man that was glaring at him. _You even have the same determined look at my winter...is someone playing tricks on me? If they are, it's not really funny._  The demon sighed,running his fingers,"It's complicated to explain,alright? You wouldn't understand..."

"I can try..."The Brit lowered his tone and sighed softly,"I am just curious and just want to know what stopped you from hurting me? You were quite determined to do that when I fell down but you immediately stopped when we were face to face."The demon was quiet, not saying a word or looking at Oliver as he leaned against a nearby tree."You want the truth? Well, the truth is that you look exactly someone I only truly cared about in this world and hurting you would have only brought back those memories." The demon snarled and glared at him,"You look just like him and it's repulsing to see his face in front of me and not actually being him." He was getting angry out of pain and torment that he stepped over to the smaller male and gripped his shirt,giving a deathly glare at him."You got your answer, now leave or I will permanently end your life right now."Oliver gasped as his blue eyes widened, staring wide eyed in fear at the demon. "I-I will! Just please don't hurt me!"

His begging made the demon release him and the pink haired man shakily kept himself up as the demon growled once more. There was nothing else said from the taller male as he turned and walked away, leaving the Brit alone again in the quiet forest. _Well, that went well... ,_ he thought to himself with a little disappointment.

"Sorry..." The Brit mumbled, sighing as he stared at the forest for a moment before turning and leaving.

The demon was out of sight but he heard the young man's apology,making him shake his head. "What a foolish human. To think I will sit and talk with him as if I am welcoming to conversation. Next time i see him, I'll scare him even more to keep him away for good."He mumbled, "I can't focus on my own life if I am to be bothered by the fact that human looks like Winter. He's not even like my liebe!  He's stubborn,his hair is darker, and too head strong!" But the feeling of wanting to see the pink haired young man was still there. despite those down sides, the sweet and innocent in the human's face was just like Winter's...the demon kicked a tree and made it crack out of his frustration, causing him to swear German and English out of pain. 

* * *

Oliver made it made it back into town, checking his phone for the time. There was three missed calls from Annie and he didn't even notice! "Bloody hell...she's going to have a fit..."He shook his head and called her back, instantly getting the woman yelling in German.

"Annie! Annie! Calm yourself!"

"Don't tell me to calm myself! Where have you been, Oliver Kirkland?! I tried calling you all morning and it went straight to voice mail!" He can understand why she was getting worried; Oliver always answered his phone even when one of his friends drunk called him in the middle of the night."I'm sorry, Annie. My phone was on vibrate...I was in the library and you know all phones must me silent." There was no way he was going to tell her he went back to the forest, she'll flip out even more. The woman always went mother hen on the Brit and sometimes he kind of liked it because it reminded him of his own mother.

There was a heavy sigh."Okay, okay..sorry for yelling,..I'm at the cafe with Louise right now. You can join us if you want."

"Danke, Annie, but I am going to go back home and lay down. That headache I had is back now..."Now that wasn't a lie. After meeting with that demon and getting threatened by him made Oliver's head spin.

"Alright, Oliver. Get some rest."

"I will. Tell Louise I said 'hi' and keep warm...it looks like today is going to be a bit nippy."

The woman on the other line agreed and said her 'good bye' in German in which Oliver returned the gestured before hanging up. He was lucky to have a caring friend like Annie and she was definitely on his lift of getting Christmas gifts this year. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, the Brit headed back to his place,flopping onto the bed with a heavy sigh. This morning didn't go as planned and he didn't expect to be threatened by the demon, but then again he got lucky again. Oliver doubted that the demon would have hurt him since he literally said he couldn't due to the Englishman looking like someone he loved. When he said, more questions began to fill the pink haired man's mind and he needed to go back. "I didn't even get to ask him his name..."

Oliver knew he was the first human the demon actually spoke to in, god knows how long. He could tell by how hostile the red eyed demon was when they spoke for that short moment and how tempted he was to harm him. The strange part of their meeting was that the Brit had a sense of familiarity with the demons as if they met before but he didn't understand why he had the feeling. Maybe this was silly. So the demon didn't kill him and spoke to him? He should be thankful that his life was spared and not ended there in the middle of the forest. Oliver huffed and turned to the side, deciding to sleep off the headache he had - he needed sleep and a way to forget this morning's trouble.

_'Winter...I want to ask you something.' Gilbert and Winter were sitting by the water with their feet in the cool water. It was a hot day so it felt nice to find a small way of cooling down._

_'Yes? What is it, Gilbert?'_

_'What will happen when I get too old and brittle? Will you stay with me still? I figured out that angels don't age very fast like humans do and I was thinking about the day that comes when I am too old to hold you and love you...it frightens me actually.'_

_The angel frowned and looked at his feet,'I suppose I will have to leave and find another person to protect. It won't be the same like it is now but it's my duty to protect the humans...'_

_'I do not want you to leave. To hell with any other human! They do not deserve you!' The Prussian growled, holding Winter's hand and laying his head on the angel's shoulders. The angel couldn't help but chuckle softly,'You speak as if you hate all the humans that are around you, liebe. You shouldn't hate them all because of what a few have done to you in the past.'_

_'And why shouldn't I?  You of all should know how they treated me! They cast me out in my own home because I was different and they treated me like I'm a monster! I was just just a child trying to live life any other child in the village and they treated me with such hatred!' Gilbert's hatred burned brightly in his red eyes and he was starting to get work up again, but was easily calmed by a gentle hand from Winter.'I know, Gilbert...but you mustn't let your anger and hatred get the best of you not all humans are the same...'_

_The Prussian man sighed and leaned into the touch,'Ja...I know but it still bothers me...danke, Winter."_

"It's a lie..." The demon spoke to himself as he remembered the memory as if it was yesterday."Humans have gotten worse...I've watched them kill each other numerous of times and spread hate everywhere. They're despicable and rather hate each other them make compromise..." He didn't know why that memory came up but it was a friendly reminder that he still had his memories to go by to remember the angel. Laying in his cold bed, one that he switched out a few times through the years, he couldn't sleep that evening. Memories and thoughts were swirling through his mind ever since he saw that human this morning.  Why did that stubborn human want to talk to him? Most humans stay away from things that can kill them,"So why didn't you?" It was partially the red eyed demon's fault for speaking to him yesterday but he wouldn't admit it.

For now, the human wasn't a bother and there was doubt that he will return. The winter was growing colder and most people would stay out of it then try walking in the white snow that was hard move in.So for now, the demon didn't have anything to worry about as he found ways to take up his time. There were minor things he did that still help him keep his humanity-like reading, keeping his old home clean, and little activities. He had books,dishes,clothing,blankets, and minor things that he's stolen from victims or the rare times he slips into the city unseen. Deep down inside, the demon longed to be human again, hating the demonic features that were forced onto him. To this day,he didn't understand what he had to do to remove this curse but then again,those angels were probably laughing at him. He got reminded each day he wakes up from his sleep and feels the heaviness of the horns on his head. No one has listened to him mourn of his lost love and to be human again, so the demon stopped listening to anyone.

The demon closed his eyes, letting sleep consume him into the dreams of once happier days. At least his dreams were good to him through this long, harsh life of his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their peace and quiet won't last long...  
> -W


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting somewhere with the story lol  
> Thank you for reading and sticking with it so far!  
> It means a lot to me! o vo)/

_‘The boy doesn’t have the slightest clue what he is getting into…it’s kind of sad, though, he’s kind of cute...’ A female voice spoke up, giggling softly._

_A second, deep male voice spoke, ‘Shut up. He’s still a threat to us and if he finds out more information is can jeopardize everything we’ve been preparing for.’.._

_‘Brother, what if he does find out more information? He’s already spoken to the demon…’ Another male voice quietly questioned.‘If that human finds out more than he should he can ruin everything that we-‘_

_‘Silence you idiot! The plan is still in motion and he won’t be a bother to us. ’ the first male voice snapped, ‘but just to be clear neither of those two get in our way, let’s have some fun shall~?’_

_'I like how you think brother!' the female voice purred,'Let me do the honors and scaring this silly human! I think he deserves a warm welcome from us~!'_

_The deeper voice chuckled,'Go and have your fun my dear sister. Oh, and if you kill him, be sure to make it unnoticeable.'_

* * *

 Monday morning was too cold for him to leave the house just yet,so he took the morning to do some research on the computer. Grabbing his laptop, he logged in and instantly went to Google – who didn’t love Google when you want to search things like ‘killer demon of Berlin’.  There were all sorts of links for the demon he met – attractions, conspiracy theories, and supposed sightings of the demon that looks photo shopped. He started with Wikipedia since it was the first link on the list.

First thing he saw, was that the demon’s title was ‘The Alptraum of Berlin’, with alptraum being translated to ‘nightmare’.

“The Nightmare of Berlin…not very creative but I suppose that’s what he got called with that shadowy form of his…hmm…” He continued to read the description of the demon which wasn’t helpful with it only saying a tall, dark shadow with glowing red eyes.  Oliver ignored that part and moved down to read the history about the demon.

‘ _The alptraum of Berlin was first discovered in early 1600s Kingdom of Prussia, but there were talks if it appearing even earlier than that. It has been said that the demon would attack unsuspected travelers and kill them in seconds. The deaths didn’t happen very often since the demon would only appear near winter time. But after a record of 10 killings in the spring of 1835, the fear that the alptraum appeared more times in a year than just during the winter scared the Prussians. Years after that, there were one or two kills a year and more stories of the demon than anything._

_Some people believed seeing the demon before winter and it got its title as ‘Alptraum of Berlin’ in 1958 when two hikers went missing for two days. When they were found, their clothing was torn and they spoke of a shadowy figure attacking them. Mostly, the demon was brought up in stories to scare travelers, tourists, and young children who didn’t want to sleep.’_

There was nothing else said about the demon. Nothing about his real name or anything else about the demon."That's it? That doesn't help me at all!" Oliver huffed and closed his laptop,laying down and huffing in disappointment."I really was hoping for more...maybe the library will have something about that demon.."He hummed then ran his fingers through his pink hair before moving it down to fiddle with the dangle earrings on one of his ears. The Brit was suppose to be dropping the subject about the demon but he couldn't help but think about him. Oliver wanted to know more about the demon -especially now that he read that little information about the so called 'nightmare'. Maybe he can convince the demon to let him talk and he'll get out of his hair afterwards.

Oliver decided he'll go back to the forest after it stopped snowing-which ended just after 12 o' clock pm;perfect timing too. The area was covered in a thick layer of snow, making it darker than it should be in the afternoon time. The Englishman dressed in his warmest clothing,stuffed a few books into his messenger bag, and then headed out to the bus stop,taking it down to the same spot he got off yesterday morning. Looking at the quiet, snow covered forest and barely hearing any birds chirp made the area eerie and deserted;anyone can see why nobody really wanted to be around it.

"Creepy..."

He shook his head and quietly headed into the forest,keeping mind of how far he went as he held his bag close to him. Looking around, the Brit didn't have the slightest clue on how to find this demon or even if he is around. All Oliver saw was snow, trees, and more snow in his whole view with no trace of any animals or demon. _Maybe I should just go and come back at a different time..._ ,the pink haired young man thought to himself. There was the sound of twigs cracking,making him flinch and look around-much to his dismay, there was no one there.

"Hello? Is someone there?" _I swear if it's that demon I am slapping him...._

There was no one there. Nor a sound to answer him back. Oliver chewed his bottom lip and hesitated before walking again but immediately stopped when there was giggling that sounded female. It made him gasp and quickly stop,looking around behind but there was still no one around-he didn't like the anxious feeling that started to grow in him."Who or what ever you are, this i-isn't funny!"Oliver turned forward again, only to be greeted by a young woman about his height,dressed in a white dress as white as the snow, with long,blonde hair and a smile."Boo!"

Oliver yelped and stepped back, staring at the woman in shock,"Wh-Who are you?"

The woman hummed and gave a Cheshire smile,"I am enjoying the forest~!" She began to slowly dance around the Brit,"It's quiet, relaxing, and and the snow makes the perfect stage." Oliver didn't trust her as he watched her circle the area,"A perfect stage for what?" The woman stopped and looked at him,"Why, to have fun of course...and I would love to have some fun with you....the kind of fun where you end up bleeding on the this perfectly white stage." The Brit gasped, stepping back as he stared at her in fear. 

"S-Stay away from me!" 

"Let's play a game,shall we? Let's see how fast you can run,"She gave a twisted smile as her hands turn into claws,"before my claws can rip you to pieces?You start,dear Oliver.  _Run_."

On command,Oliver stumbled to find his footing and make a run for it. It was hard with the snow and the cold getting in the way but he had to keep going as much as he can. Who was this woman? Why is after him and want to hurt him? The Englishman didn't do anything bad nor did he bother anyone he didn't think was good. But this woman who popped out of thin air with the urge to hurt, and possibly kill,the young college student terrified him. He looked back as stopped, heavily breathing and trying to force himself to keep running.He looked head again and there was, smiling brightly now,"Got you!" Oliver screamed and barely dodge the swipe of her claws, turning and making a run for it down a different direction. It was the wrong move and he went tumbling down a small dip, crashing in to a hard pile of snow-thank god it wasn't a tree or steeper hill. 

He barely had time to calm down and get up when the woman found him and pinned him to the ground, causing him to scream.Despite her smaller body, the woman had him unable to move, his blue eyes widening as he saw two large wings appear in back of her."You are a problem just waiting to happen, little brother. All those years of timeless planning and you just had to appear here and stick your nose into something that doesn't need you around."

Confused and terrified, Oliver was speechless. What was this woman? Why does she have wings?"Wh-What are you talking about? I don't even know you!"

"Oh good, then you won't have to suffer so bad when I do this."Her hands were on his neck, tightening instantly. The Brit coughed and choked, struggling to pry her off while gasping for air. Oliver grabbed the strange woman's wrists, feeling a sense of warmth on contact-he opened his eyes and saw the woman's skin begin to burn. Whatever he was doing to her, it made her release him and shriek back, gripping her still burning wrists."How did you do that!" She demanded,glaring darkly at the young man and he didn't have the slightest clue. Whatever made him burn the attacking woman, Oliver was glad it happened; the woman took off flying in anger,"I'll come back for you,dearie!" With that, she was gone, leaving the pink haired man shocked, scared and confused.

He coughed and rubbed his sore neck, shakily grabbing his things-being chased,tumbling down a hill,and being choked did nothing good for him.What's worse, Oliver was lost in the forest and didn't know where to head now."Lovely...I get attacked by some strange woman and now I'm lost..good job Oliver,good job..."His voice sounded scratchy and he felt dizzy as he shakily stood up.There was the sound of footsteps and he can barely make out the figure towards him since it began to snow again.Thinking it was that woman again, he began to panic."S-Stay away from me! Please!" 

The figure got closer but it was too late to try to run. He was done for with his back against the tree and tears coming down his cold cheeks."Please don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to but  I am questioning why you're back here again."

That voice wasn't female. It was male and the angry accented voice was recognizable.Oliver opened his eyes and looked up at the red eyed demon looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "O-Oh good...it's just you...oddly enough,I'm glad to see you..."

"The feeling isn't mutual. I thought I told you to stay away from me."

"Y-You did...and I didn't listen. I just want to talk and I got attacked by this strange woman...."

The demon folded his arms,"What strange woman?"

Oliver sighed,hugging himself for warmth,"I-I don't know...she came out of no where and she knew my name...I tried to run from her but she caught me and choked me...she looked like an angel..."He shook his head,"What kind of angel attacks humans like that?" He believed she was an angel-there was a demon right in front of him so there was bound to be something opposite to him.

The demon was quiet, holding back a glare as he thought for a moment, _those damn angels are attacking an innocent human? No one really knows about this human unless they really have been watching him...Shaking his head, he looked at the human_ ,"Fine. I'll answer your silly questions, but not here while you're turning into a human icicle." _If I am going to protect you, you better stay in my view human._

"D-Danke...I-I promise not to be too much of a bother..."Oliver shivered as he slowly began to follow the leaving demon. His whole body ached from running and his throat was dry from yelling and screaming. It was past the month of scaring people so why is he still being scared like this? "Can I have one question answered?"

"It's answered."

"Don't be rude...i just want to know what is your name? I hardly doubt it's alptraum of Berlin that's just a title.."

"And that's how I want to keep it. Now enough talking until we get inside." A low growl came from the taller male, making the Brit sigh and chew on his bottom lip.This male really is rude...

The rest of the walk was made in silence with Oliver flinching and looking around each time there was a sound in the forest. After what he gone through,it made the smaller male a little jumpy right now. After their little hike deeper into the forest, they made it to a small cottage that looked untouched for a long time.It made the young pink haired man stop and blink for a moment,"You live here?"

The taller male looked at him, flicking his tail a little,"Where do you think I live? I still have to sleep like any other living creature.I just don't stay in it all day."He walked over to the front door,"Come on before get caught up in the snow. It's going to be a blizzard and I doubt you'll want to stay in it."

Oliver hesitated for a moment before making his feet move,"R-Right..." Now he was curious at the small hospitality the demon was giving him.True, he looked like something out of some dark fairy tale the Germans had, but he didn't act like a vicious killer. Maybe he's not really that bad...,the Brit thought to himself as he walked into the cottage.

* * *

 

_The woman returned to where she came from. receiving glares from her two brother.'Don't glare at me! The boy was fun to mess with but he some how was able to burn me. Stupid human almost burnt my hands off!'_

_'You didn't kill him did you?' The younger of the male voices spoke._

_'Of course I didn't...do you really think I'll be this angry if I did kill the damn brat? Besides, you almost sound worried for him'_

_'I am not! I just expected more from you...you're a let down'_

_A growl came from the woman before she could snap at her brother, the older brother stepped in,'Enough! She had her fun and now we know he can easily be scared. Sister, you did well.'_

_'Thank you brother.But I want to know how long we have to keep this charade until things get in motion?'_

_'Patience,my dear sister. If we rush into things, it won't be as fun.'The deeper voiced brother spoke with a pleased him,'Besides,it's fun pretending to be angels. Humans are so gullible they will believe anything you tell these days. All in good time...hehe...' There was chuckles and pleased hums from the older brother and his sister,but the youngest of the three of them kept quiet, lost in his own thoughts._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fa·cade  
> fəˈsäd  
> noun  
> an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost halfway done through the story!  
> Again, thank you for reading!

The little cottage was smaller than it looked on the outside-with only a small fireplace, a bed,small table with a chair, and old drawer. It was probably bigger than the Englishman's dorm room but with everything inside it, it seemed smaller. Once inside, the demon went past him and started a warm fire, and lighting a few lanterns to bring in more light into the small home. The window outside began to blow and frost covered the windows, showing the blizzard was coming in.For now, Oliver couldn't go anywhere but he is thankful that he's in a warm home and not lost in the forest getting frozen to death. He watched as the demon moved around the small home that had a mixture of old and new things inside it. Really, no one would believe him if he said the demon has a home and lives in a quaint little home deep in the forest with his own cozy bed.It confused the pink haired man as he hugged his knees, feeling the warmth of the fire starting to fill up the small cottage.

"I like your home...I didn't expect you to have a home like this and so neatly clean as well."

The demon looked at him with a look of confusion,"What? Am I not allowed to have a home? I get cold, need food,warmth and sleep as much as the next person does. I just don't make it a habit of staying here as often as one should."

"Why not? It looks like a nice in here and the bed is comfortable."

"Why would anyone want to stay in a place that brings up memories of their past that hurt them? I do not like staying here very long because I get too comfortable and start dwelling into the past." 

Oliver pulled off his jacket as he spoke,"Sounds like you had a bad past if it means you can't stay in your own home for long."He played with the hem of his sweater then looked at the other male,"But I really am curious about you and I promise not to expose you or anything like that. It's just that there was barely any information on you and I've heard plenty of stories about you but they sound more like tall tales than anything..."He thought for a moment,rubbing his chin before smiling up at the demon who sat down at the table,'About this? To make it fair, I can ask you questions and you can do the same. We can go back and forth with them until we're both satisfied and it will pass the time."

The red eyed demon rubbed his chin,thinking to himself about the option.With a small sigh,he waved his hand,"Fine.But if they become to personal or annoying we're stopping."

A smile grew on the young Brit's face,"Agreed! I'll go first...umm...well, since you won't tell me your name, can you tell me your age?"

"Seven hundred and thirty seven. I was 26 about to turn 27 when I got turned like this."

"Turned? You mean you weren't a demon your whole life?"

The demon shook his head,"Nein, and that was two questions. It's my turn to ask them now,"a small 'sorry' came for the human before the white haired male spoke,"Who are you and why do you have such weird fascination with me? Most humans are thankful I didn't harm them and go on about their business."

Oliver scratched his cheek with a finger,looking off to the side,"My name is Oliver Kirkland and I'm a transfer student from Nottingham,England. I came here to Berlin to study as did a few other students from other countries. As for the fascination with you, I don't know why but since the other day you've been on my mind and I get this weird feeling that we've met before..."That made the white haired male slightly perk up and look at the Englishman,listening closely as he continued to talk."You know that feeling that you've met someone before but you can't remember from where? I've never met you before and I've only been in Berlin, Germany for a few months now." A small feeling grew inside the older male-it was a warm feeling inside of his chest that he hasn't felt since... _Nein! I am not going to let this take over me...but still...this Oliver person..he looks and acts like Winter in so many ways...._ ,the demon sighed to himself.

"Oliver,huh? That's an interest name...oddly enough, it suits you."

"Thank you! Now, my next question is a little personal...feel free to ignore it if you want. I just want to know,what was your human life like? You said you got turned this way so obviously you were human before..."

That made the demon quiet again,propping his chin up and looking off to the side as his tail flickered,"I was a young Prussian man that live in a village far from here...it was the start of the 1300's and I lived in a church...I had no family and given the time, I was cast out as a devil's spawn that should have died. My only salvation and security was inside that church but being a young boy at the time,I was tired of being marked as something evil.One day, I had enough of it and ran right into this forest before the start of winter and thinking I was going to die in here but someone found me and took care of me. He was my first true friend and we were so close...he left for a long 7 years but during that time, I had a purpose to move on and grew up strong. When he came back, I was happy again and soon we fell in love..."

Oliver listened closely to the demon's story, curious about everything he said,"Wait..I thought back then, it was a huge sin to love someone of the same sex?"

"By the time, we knew we fell hard in love and I didn't care anymore. I had everything I needed in my life and I was happy for once." _Why am I telling all this? It's not going to help with anything but bring back painful memories..._ ,he thought to himself,glancing at the fire. Right now, he didn't want to look at Oliver because of the same worried look in the young man's face was the splitting image of Winter's.

"What about-"

"No more questions!"The demon snapped,looking hurt as he stood up and headed for the door. He directed that sadness into anger and glared at the other male,"Don't get comfortable. When the snow ends, I'm taking you back to the main street and you're going back to wherever you're staying in! I answered you silly questions, human."He snarled, visibly seeing the pink haired man flinch as he left the cottage,slamming the door shut.

Oliver gasped at the sudden outburst and couldn't help but watch the other male leave in completely shock."I...I'm sorry..." He mumbled as if the demon can hear the apology being spoken. There wasn't much else he could do now and he wasn't one for snooping into people's things when they weren't around-he pulled out his phone and looked at the time; it was half past 4 o' clock yet, it felt later than that. So to pass the time, Oliver pulled out an empty journal and started doodling on the paper; the wind howling outside was the only sound hear for the next 2 hours. As time went by slowly, the young man did take a break from doodling to stretch out his legs and get a better look of the small cottage. He still thought it was cozy enough for one or two people and the way it is built shows it was probably built a long time,"Amazing how it's still standing strong..then again, it's made out of stone and strong wood."He mumbled to himself, touching the stone furnace that still had a strong fire in it-that's when something caught his attention;a shininess that threw off the scarce decor.He picked it up to reveal an old iron cross with a silver chain that gleamed in the firelight;but Oliver gasped when he saw the familiarity of the necklace.

"Wait..."He went over to the bed again, pulling out his dream journal and flipped through the pages to reveal a sketch of the same necklace."It's the same! Well, almost...this one has years of wear on it and the one from my dream looks new." The Brit was so confused at all of this that he just put the necklace back into its place and sat on the bed once more to doodle. There was still too many questions on his mind but he kept them to himself since the demon made it clear he did not wish to speak about any else that afternoon.

By the time snow slowed up and ended, the demon came back with fresh snow on his shoulders and snowy white hair. The fire died down, making it cold once more in the cottage, but the young man didn't notice. He was huddled up on the bed and drawing when the door was opened, but he didn't look up from what he was doing. The older male raised an eyebrow at the other as he brushed off the snow from his shoulders,"It's time to for you to go now. Stop what you're doing and let's go." _Well,isn't he such a polite git?_ , the pink haired man thought to himself.

"Hold on." Oliver mumbled, not looking up at the other. He finished what he was doing and tore the page out, folding it neat,writing something on it, and setting it on the demon's pillow."Don't look at it till later."

"Whatever.Just hurry and get your things together." The demon waved a hand, making the pink haired Brit roll his eyes as he put his stuff away and grabbed his jacket. One he was ready he stood by the door, waiting for the other who began to change his shirt. Blushing, he looked away but couldn't help but take a sneak peak to see the muscular body that had a few burn and stab wound scars. Chewing on his bottom lip, it made Oliver wonder who could have harmed the demon in such ways, _I know people were really superstitious through the centuries but that is just barbaric..._ ,he thought to himself before shaking his head and looking away."Come on."The red eyed demon spoke, now in a cleaner shirt, as they headed out of the cottage and out into the cold new snow. The whole time they were walking, the two of them were silent and not looking at each other-it made Oliver feel awkward as they neared the opening of the forest. Twiddling with his earrings,he had to break the silence,"Umm...danke...for helping me and letting me stay until the snow calmed down..."

The demon,who had his hands behind his back, didn't look at the smaller male but he quietly spoke up."You're welcome. Don't be stupid and get yourself caught in it again."

"It's not like I planned it...the weather was fine when I left..."

There was annoyed grumble for the demon then he stopped completely and pointed ahead,"Your bus stop is there. Go back to the city and stop bothering me. Seriously, I don't need some brat bothering me."

Oliver gave the other male a look of annoyance,"I am not a brat and I was just curious okay?"

"Well, you got your answers so now you don't need to come back."With that, the demon turned and walked away,making the Brit call out to him,"Hey! You can't just leave!" The demon looked back him,"I just did!" He looked ahead again waving to the smaller man away,speaking in such a sarcastic tone, "Auf Wiedersehen!" And then he was gone,leaving the pink haired Brit gawking in annoyance and surprised. "Fine! What a jerk!"He huffed at nothing then headed to the bus stop, waiting for the bus to arrive. If that demon wanted to leave him in the dark and be jerk, than the Brit was going to leave it at that. Oliver had better things to do anyways and he had his life to get back to-so he headed back home flopped onto the bed.He almost forgot about that strange woman who attacked him, hoping she didn't come back to finish the job-but for now, sleep is the only thing claiming him now.

* * *

The demon headed back to this cottage, being greeted by the coldness that seemed strange to him. Even though he didn't like the Brit in his home, seeing Oliver sitting on his bed. The young Brit wasn't even scare of him;no, his whole face was lite up with curiosity and the red eyed demon snapped at him. The more he saw the young man, the more he reminded the old demon of Winter. Sighing, he turned on one of his lanterns and looked at the piece of paper that was on his bed-grabbing it, he read the little message on it;

_"I was doodling this and wondered to myself about your looks. I hope you like it..._

_I'm also sorry for making you angry earlier._

_-Oliver"_

Raising his eyebrow, the demon slowly opened the paper. It was a sketch of him but instead of his demonic features, it was him as a man- what he looked like before hand and it was perfect."This is perfect..."Oliver captured almost a perfect image of him,now he's feeling that same warmth in his chest."This damn human...so stubborn..." He sighed, hugging the picture to his chest and felt lost-for the first time in his old,long life, the demon felt himself in bind.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me through this story!  
> It's getting into some good stuff now!  
> ovo

Oliver decided that he was just going to continue his life as usual without bringing up anything about the demon, the attacking woman, or the dreams. He had a life of his own and had to live it now and get out of his wild fantasies of his dreams. It was Monday evening and life was the same once he reached his little apartment with the cat greeting him. He got himself dinner after leaving the forest, trying to forget the demon-it was only going to bother the Brit more if he kept thinking about that rude demon.Turning on the television, the pink haired man began to eat his dinner when he got a phone call. It was Jack, another person he honestly didn't want to see or talk to right now."What do you want,Jack? I'm eating right now."

"Oi,Olive, I was thinking about last Saturday and figure it was pretty fucking stupid of me for making everyone go into that forest. The others haven't called me back but I want to make it up to you guys,especially you since you're the one who got hurt in all of this."

The Brit rolled his eyes,"You were an idiot for making us go into that forest, Jack. I really should have punched you in the face for all that and then thinking everything was fine afterwards." There was a chuckle from the other man on the other line. But then again, if Oliver didn't go into that forest, he wouldn't have met that demon and have a small urge to see him again.

"I know, I know! Now I'm trying to make it up to you! Can we go out of for lunch tomorrow, Oliver? I'll buy!"

"Well..."you wanted to get back to life,now is your chance,Oliver, he thought to himself,"Alright,Jack, it sounds good."

"Great! I'll pick you up about 11 okay? Auf wiedersehen, Olive."

"Alright, Jack, I'll see you then,auf wiedersehen" The call ended just like that,making Oliver sigh as his cat came and rubbed against his leg."Look like I'm getting back to my old life quicker than i thought, Rose." He leaned down to scratch the feline's head and then sat up to finish his dinner. After the weekend and day he had, Oliver was ready to get back to his daily routine of life. The Brit was going no where with the demon of the forest and if that rude demon wanted him to stay away then he was going to do just that. After finishing dinner and a shower, the pink haired man retired for the night-forgetting about today's events to think of sleep. That night, he didn't have any dreams though but it seemed fine to him.

* * *

 The next morning, Oliver was woken up by the coldness of his apartment-it wasn't snowing but it was a cold November day.He felt off since he didn't have a dream about the usual things that he would write about. But that wasn't going to stop him from having a normal day with his friend so the young man rolled out of bed and prepared for the day.By the time he was ready and getting his earrings on, Jack was at the door knocking. Oliver took another look at himself in the mirror, made sure the cat was fed, and grabbing things, he was out the door."Good morning, Jack." The tall, dark blond man smiled down at the Brit, fixing the scarf he had around his neck.

"Hey,Olive! Ready for our date?"

That made the shorter male roll his eyes,"It's not a date,Jack. Just a couple of friends going out to lunch and that's it."They walked down stairs as they headed out,"Oh come now. It's just two of us so it's totally a date!"Jack hugged his friend,receiving a roll of the eyes from the Brit. I didn't take him of all people to like other men, he thought as they headed down the snowy sidewalk. The two men headed to a small diner that had some kind of German name that Oliver couldn't pronounce but knew the food was good. As they ate,the two of them talked of what their plans were for Christmas next month and if they're visiting family or now. The meal ended on a lighter note and it made the pink haired Brit happy-they paid for their meal then headed out towards a different place.

"Let's stop by the pub,Olive."

"Jack, you know I don't drink beer. How about the coffeehouse instead? A nice cup of coffee sounds perfect right now."

The German man shrugged,"Why? It's more fun at the pub."

Oliver sighed,"That's nice and all, Jack. But I don't like the pub even if everyone is there.It's boring to me..."The other man stopped their walk and looked down at him,"Are you fucking serious? All those times you went before and now you're denying this time around?" Are you seriously getting angry about that?,the Brit thought to himself before sighing and answering."Jack,I just don't want to go there, okay? It's your kind of place not mine. If you wanted to go to a bar then we should have went to a bar and grill instead for lunch."

"Nein! Come on, we're going!"

"Ah! Jack, no! Let me go!" He was trying to pull away but the other man wouldn't let go of him."Seriously what is your bloody problem? Let me go!"

Jack ignored him and continue to pull,"Oh come on!" Oliver struggled to get away but was dragged-before he could kicked the other man,another person came and stopped the blond man. They all stopped and saw a taller man, with bright blue eyes and dark blond hair that was in a pony tail at the nape of his neck."Excuse me, but I do think the man just told you to let him go,sir. I suggest you let him go."

"Fuck off! This doesn't concern you!"

Oliver heard the new man sigh then watched as he was easily pulled away from Jack."Excuse me, but I don't think Oliver likes being dragged about like a dog.Leave him alone,Jack."The Brit's eyes widened as he looked at mysterious man who knew their names, wondering who he was to know that. His friend growled and smacked the man's hand away from him,"Whatever! That's what I fucking get for trying to be nice!" Jack let out a few swears in German than left them,heading to the said pub. Oliver just shook his head and looked at him,"I'm sorry about him.He's really stubborn and sometimes it's hard to reason with him."

The taller man chuckled,"It's quite alright. I've dealt with much worse in my life."

"I see...well, thank you for that.But I must know how you know our names...I don't recall meeting you before."

The blond man looked around and then back at the pink haired man,"I'll explain everything but it's best not to talk out here...let's got to that coffee shop you wanted to go to."He gently tugged Oliver to follow him to the coffee shop,looking around as if he was watching out for something. It puzzled the Brit and was slightly unsure if he should be walking with the other man. Walking over to the coffee shop, the man ordered two coffees for them,paying them before Oliver can offer to pay,then grabbing their drinks. He headed to the small corner table where it was the warmest than sat down after removing his coat. The Brit did the same, pulling off his scarf as well and sitting down,"Okay,now you really have to tell me who you are."

A small sigh came from the blond man,"Alright, but promise to hear me out before you react to what I'm going to say."A nod came from Oliver,"Well, my name is James and like that woman who attacked you yesterday, I am an angel of the sun. We've been watching you for a long time,Oliver, and it's time that you knew that you are in danger..."

Oliver blinked and stared at the man,"I...do forgive me, James, but I think you've lost me for a moment. You said you're an angel?"

"I am and so was the angel that you are reincarnated from. He had a no name since he was still so young but there was a human he loved seeing that called him Winter."James sighed softly and lowered his gaze,"Oliver, that angel was my little brother and he fell victim to our corrupted father who wanted power and would do anything to have order over us. He defied that order and was killed without a trial or a chance at forgiveness-my older brother and sister watched just as I did as we watched our little sibling burn to ashes..."

"James,I...h-how do you know I am this brother of yours?"

The blond man looked up and gave a small smile,"No one else has his same features as you do and we know because of your dreams. Those aren't dreams-they're memories of his past before his death."He looked around then lowered his voice, leaning closer to Oliver,"Now, when I said you are in danger I am not joking. My older brother wants to continue what our father started and he needs you. You're the only one in our family who has the pureness of Winter,untouched by darkness, that he needs...if he obtains that power you have inside you, it can mean the destruction for everyone."

Oliver's mind was racing with the new information, trying to comprehend and process everything he is hearing.It felt like he just stepped into an episode of Supernatural and you know its going to end badly. He was starting to get scared now as James spoke,"Why does he need me? I am not this angel you're talking about and I don't understand!"

"He needs it to survive. Without that power inside you, we'll die...I have accepted this by coming here and warning you. Both my sister and him want to kill an innocent human for their own greedy purpose and it's sickening.They're suppose to be angels of the Sun, protectors of the day and the people in it-just like our counterparts, the angels of the Moon who protect the night!" A growl rose from the larger man's chest,making the Brit flinch,"Forgive me,Oliver...it's something just really angers me about them and if I could, I would have ended their lives already."

The smaller man sighed, fiddling with his earrings as he tried to wrap this whole thing in his mind. It sounded like something out of a book or movie but there was no sign that James could be lying. _If he is lying, he's doing bloody good job at it!_ , he thought to himself. Sighing, Oliver stared at his cup of coffee that he barely touched,"I don't understand, James.What do you expect me to do?"

James took Oliver's hands and held them,"Please, do whatever it takes to unlock the rest of those memories that you have. If you do that,the memory of being able to use that power inside you will come and my brother will not be able to do absorb it. Oliver, right now, you are the only one standing between having peace or destruction and I am sorry for putting this on your shoulders."He sighed and pulled back, finishing of his coffee before standing up,"I have to go before they realize i am gone.Keep close to people, Oliver."

"Ah- w-wait! I don't understand why I have to be careful! Why can't I just let them have that power and they can leave me alone?" He whimpered,getting small pet to his hair.

"I'll be watching you closely, Oliver. If anything tries to hurt you, I'll be there to help."James gave a small smile and pulled away,about to walking off and leave Oliver there to think about everything he was just told. 

"Oh, and Oliver?"The blond man looked down at the pink haired young male.

The Brit looked up at him,"Y-Yes...?"

"That demon in the forest...he was human before my father decided to punish him as well. He didn't deserve to be punished as much as Winter didn't deserve..." He shook his head and then left Oliver there watching him leave with a surprised look.Now, his mind was swirling with even more questions about Jack, these angels,and everything else-it made his mind swirl and his head throb. Grabbing the coffee that was still war,the Brit left the coffee house and headed back home,hoping that some sleep will help the headache that was growing

* * *

Once Oliver was home, he pulled off his jacket,kicked off his shoes and plopped onto bed. Just when things were going so well for me, this happens, he thought to himself,relaxing his mind and body. Apparently he was in trouble now and had people after him-the Brit would of thought it was some sick joke but that woman from yesterday really did have the intent to hurt him or kill him."I really wish James could have stayed longer and tell me more than just snippets of what is going on. I hate being left out in the dark..." He mumbled to himself, closing his eyes to fall asleep. His dreams were new this time and seemed to race through his mind.

The dream started off darker this time. He was in the same deep forest and it early Autumn-the smell of the leaves and the cool breeze felt all too real to him. There was birds chirping as clear as day and the smell of food cooking nearby. Everything has a odd 'homely' feeling to it all even though it was unfamiliar to the pink haired young man.;it made him question it all.

"I've been here before...I don't know when though..."

'That's because it's my memory,not yours.' Another voice spoke, sound softer than is own.It was faint but he could still hear it close by.

"Whose there?"

'I don't have a proper name...but I was once named Winter.'

Oliver perked up,"Winter? You're the one James spoke of! Please, you of all people should help me! James told me I had to know all of these memories of yours but it's hard to do when I only have snippets of them."

'That's because I held them back. I didn't know how you would take knowing all of my past memories but...you've written them down and ever since Gilbert saw you...' 

It was silent in the dream. Only the sound of the birds made it feel real to the Brit and it made kind of not wanting to wake up just yet."Winter,please...I am confused about everything, was just told I am being targeted and I just don't know what to do!" There was no answer from the voice that was talking to him and the young man was starting to think he was going mad now. 'I'll give you most of my memories...but I can't give you them all...not all of them..not yet....'

"Thank you,Winter. I don't want to be left in the dark...I want all of this mess to end as quick as it started."

'Very well. Pay close attention, Oliver Kirkland.'

Before he could speak another word, Oliver's surroundings changed in a heart beat. Scenes played out in front of him like a silent movie-scenes that went from Winter growing up a strong angel to him meeting Gilbert. The image of the Prussian as normal man with that same snowy white hair made the Brit step closer to get a better look at him. "He's so handsome...why would anyone want to turn him into such a demon?" He spoke to himself, watching as the scenes showed Winter and Gilbert together, happy as two people can be. It made the young man sigh softly and smile-Winter looked almost a exact copy of him but the angel had lighter hair and of course, wings. _That answers my question why the demon called me 'winter',_ he thought.

The scenes took a more serious turn when Oliver watched a group of angels,led by an older one who had six wings, arrived in front of the couple.He got a bad feeling about it when he watched two of the angels hold onto Winter and another forcing Gilbert to the ground."W-Winter...i don't like this..."There was no answer from angel and some how, Oliver was stuck in place as he watched the scenes. Seeing Winter plead for their lives, the sword of light appearing and when it came down to hit the young angel, the site of flames made Oliver scream. He screamed and snapped awake, breathing heavily and tearing up in fear; his body felt like he was burning as if he was in the flames. When he realized he was awake and in bed, the Brit sighed heavily,running his fingers through his oddly colored hair. "H-He was killed...he was killed by his own father..just as James said..." Laying on his back, Oliver stared at the wall, feeling his cat jump onto the bed and rub against him with a loud purr.

"I have to see that demon again,Rose...otherwise I'll end up dead for some vengeful angel..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh, sorry for the wait on this!  
> I've been so busy that I haven't been able to get to this!  
> ; v ;

Oliver didn’t sleep much after that dream – his mind was too wrapped up with the dream he had and what to do next. He needed to see that demon and talk to him more, even if he had to deal with the rude attitude - there were questions to be asked and that demon had the answers that the young man needed. That morning, he turned his phone on silent, bundled up in warm clothing and headed back out to the bus stop.  He stopped at the same stop he we got off last time and walked down to the opening of the large forest. He was ready to step forward until two things stopped him; one, was the fact that he didn’t know where to go and two, he was having second doubts about what he was doing. Oliver can easily turn back and forget that any of this ever happened, but what good will that do? A small sigh came from the young man as he fixed his scarf.

“Do you need some help there, Oliver?”

Oliver blinked and looked up to see James standing beside him, dressed in similiar winter clothing and smiling down at him. “James? How did you know I was here?”

The taller man chuckled, “I’ve been watching over you in case anything happened since our greeting yesterday. I decided to come and escort you to the demon’s cabin in the woods without getting lost. By the looks of it, you were trying to figure out how to get there without getting stuck in the forest.”

“Y-yea…it was pretty noticeable I suppose…thank you, James...”

The angel nodded and began to walk into the forest with the smaller man following close beside him. “Something must have bothered you if you’re out to see that demon again.”

Oliver looked at James then sighed, “That’s an understatement…last night, I talked to Winter in my dream…I didn’t see him in person but I heard his voice and he showed me his memories.  I saw who the demon was before what he is now and how he met winter….they were so close to each other and it didn’t seem like anything wrong. He showed me everything up to the point where his father killed him…I asked for more but he didn’t answer. He wouldn’t show me everything…he said I wasn’t ready to know everything. So I’m going to talk to the demon – no…I’m going to talk to Gilbert Beilschmidt about all of this. If being targeted by your brother is true, I need that man on my side.”

“Winter spoke to you? So he found away to keep his spirit alive….” The blond man sighed and ruffled Oliver’s pink hair, “I'm guessing he’s alive and using your dreams as a way of communicating…he must of found that way to survive that awful killing all those years ago.” James helped Oliver over a large broken tree and down a small hill, which was close to the cabin hidden so well in the white forest.  The young Brit looked over at the house, seeing a faint smoke coming from the chimney as he sighed. It wasn’t until James patted his shoulders that he realized how nervous he was. “He’s in there. Best to go now before the demon goes out again.”

“Right…” Oliver took a deep breath and strutted right over to the door and knocked on it. He waited for a moment then knocked again, which made the demon open the door and growl. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away from here! Are you a fucking idiot?”

As much as he hated swearing, the young man couldn’t back down, “I-I came to talk to you! I have questions and only YOU can answer them!”

Gilbert growled deeply, not wanting to be bothered by this brat who wasn’t his beloved Winter. Those red pupils glared down at Oliver as the demon stretched out his claws, preparing to do some harm, “Didn’t I warn you I wouldn’t go easy on you if you came back? Now you leave me no choice but to get rid of you on my own.” He was about to slice the young man to pieces before James appeared and gripped his wrist tightly. It surprised the demon and he snarled at the angel but stopped when he saw a scared Oliver.

“Still rude as ever, I see…the boy only came to talk and you’re going to kill him for it?”

The demon snarled again, “Fuck off, you damn pigeon! I warned him not to come back and he was the fool for disobeying that! He walked into his own trap!”

Trying to regain himself, Oliver swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke, “I had to come...please…just listen to me!”

“Why? So these damn angels can know I am and mock me for the neck hundred years?” The Prussian gripped James’ shirt and pulled him closer, “Why should I talk to a sniveling brat like you and this damn angel like we’re good ol’ chaps? Don’t make me laugh. I should kill this angel who didn’t care about his brother…none of you raised a hand to help him or me and now to expect me to be friendly? Fuck that!”

This isn’t going anywhere! He’s going to kill James if I don’t stop him! Why does demon have to be so stubborn when I am trying to save us both? The young Brit thought, sighing before stepping forward and grabbing the demon’s arm, “Please….I need your help and I have information that can be helpful to you…please, Gilbert…help me.” Those same red eyes quickly looked at him in surprise as his name was spoken by the human. They had a look of familiarity in them as Gilbert lowered his hand away from the angel in front of him. “How do you know my name…”

Oliver slightly blushed and looked off to the side, “Winter told me…it’s why I came here. I wanted to talk to you…”

There was silence among the three men – on the sound of the wind picking up was heard through the trees. The demon turned around and gestured for them to enter as he walked inside, “Make it quick. I don’t have all day and I am not keeping that angel in here for long.” Gilbert mumbled, fixing the fire then sitting down at the table. The other two men walked inside, with Oliver moving over to sit on the old bed and James by the door. Thank god he didn’t turn me down again…, he thought as he figured out what to say first.

“Alright, talk.”

“Umm…well…” Oliver started, “last night, I met Winter…he didn’t show me his face but he spoke to me. He showed me your life…your life when he met you and all the memories that you two have shared. It was so sweet how you two loved each other but then he showed me what happened when his father found out.” He looked down at the floor, “I saw what he did to Winter…to be punished by his own father just because he fell in love with a human. That’s awful…anyways, I came here because James said that his siblings are planning to come after me and Winter said I am not ready to know the rest of his memories. Gilbert, please help me! If you do, we can stop them and maybe even find a way to help you changed back to yourself again!”

The demon glared at the human, looking unimpressed, “Nothing can turn me back! You don’t think I haven’t tried to find a way to change back all these years? As for those angels coming after you, why do I care? You’re just a sniveling brat who happens to share memories and face of the one I lost! If you’re out of the way, it’s one less worry off my hands!”

Those words hurt and it made the young Brit’s stomach knot up, he doesn’t believe me! He doesn’t believe anything I am telling him! Oliver felt like crying because this was going completely wrong and he was getting nervous.

“Hey, demon, what Oliver is saying is true. My eldest brother wants the power that is locked inside Oliver – he’s wants to continue my late father’s plan to gain more power that can kill anyone in sight. They’ve lost their grace and they’re dying…with the power locked inside Oliver, it can save them. So, until he is dead, they won’t stop coming after him.” James spoke up for the younger man, looking at the demon straight in the eye. “I am dying too but I am not here to harm him; only to help him fight them off till we can figure out how to stop them. But my power only can’t fight off my brother and my sister so asking your help is a must.”

Gilbert folded his arms and glared at the angel as he spoke, tapping a clawed finger and annoyance. He glanced at Oliver and growled, “To hell with that. As if I would trust anything you angels say to me and why should I care? None of you decided to lift a finger to help me all these years so I am not going to help you.”

The pink Brit spoke up, “But Gilbert, without your help, there’s no way I can fight off those angels who are after me!”

“That’s not my problem! Now leave! You have overstayed your unwanted welcome now.”

“But-“

The blond man gently tugged Oliver’s arm, “Come on, Oliver. He gave us his answer and his decisions. There’s not much we can do now…” Reluctantly, the smaller man sighed and stood up, following the angel towards the door. He failed at what he was trying to do and now he’s going to pay for it with his life – he failed Winter and he didn’t even get to know the rest of the angel’s memories. With his head hung low, Oliver chewed on his bottom lip, looking around as he walked – he spotted the picture he drew for the demon. He walked over to it and picked it up, “You kept my picture…?” _Why did he keep it? I could of sworn he would of gotten rid of it,_ he thought as he looked up at Gilbert.

The demon glanced at him then went to pluck the paper out of his hands, “Ja, what about it?”

“N-Nothing! I just thought…you would have thrown it away…”

Gilbert snuffed at him and folded the picture away, “Leave.”

James gently pulled Oliver away, heading back outside as they left the old cabin. The Brit was quiet as he fixed his scarf and sighed. He wished that went better than what he wanted but there was no way getting through to that man.  Demon or not Gilbert has built up a wall that hardly anything or anyone can penetrate. There wasn’t much he can do now and Oliver was never one to push things onto people when they didn’t want to talk. “I am screwed….this is not how I wanted to spend my winter time…”

“Don’t mind him, Oliver. That demon has always been uptight about us and I honestly think his humanity is dying away. It won’t be long till he’s just another mindless demon out to kill anything and anyone. I guess that's why he keeps anyone away from him and refuses to speak to anyone who tries to help him.”

_No, you’re wrong, James…Gilbert wants to be human again, he’s trying whatever he can to keep that humanity left in him_ , Oliver thought, then stopped walked. If the man didn’t like the angels then maybe he’ll talk to me without James? Perhaps the Prussian will talk to him if he was alone and not accompanied by the old angel? He turned and started to head back to the cabin, following the footsteps they made in the snow. “Don’t follow me, James! I think if Gilbert didn’t see you, it will be easier for him to talk to me!”

The blond man blinked and tried to follow him before stopping, “Oliver! Be careful! If that man tries to harm you then call my name, I'll come and help you!”

The Brit yelled out an ‘okay’ then ran back to the snow covered cabin, seeing the light of the fire place in the window. Oliver opened the door quickly; panting as he caught a shocked demon sitting on his bed with the picture he was given. The demon was hunched over on the old bed, staring at the other who busted in and shocked to say anything. After the door was shut, Gilbert shook his head and stood up, “What are you doing back here again? I told you I am not going to help you or any of those damn angels!” He grabbed the smaller man’s arms, noticing how small they were – it made the demon loosen his grip.

“Please, Gilbert! I am not asking you to move mountains for me! I just want your help to help fight off these angels that want to hurt and kill me! I came alone so it will be just the two of us! I got wrapped into all of this so suddenly and whether you like it or not, you're part of it too! ” Oliver argued, not backing down like he’s done the last few times they spoke.

“And why should I help you? You’re nothing but a sniveling little brat who doesn't know when to quit.”

“Because Winter would have helped you if you were in trouble and he wants you to be happy again!”

Gilbert looked down at the human who wasn’t his Winter, but had the same determined look as the angel from so long ago.  He could just let this human die so he wouldn’t have to see that face again, but he couldn't bring himself to harm Oliver. It was just like the other day when he was about to kill him but couldn't kill the young man. Sighing, he released his grip and laid his head on Oliver’s shoulder, “That’s true…he was always there to help me even when I didn’t need it he was there to give me hand with tasks..You…just don’t understand…”

The Brit flinched when the other man moved, but his eyes widened when he felt the weight on his shoulder. He can see that this scary ‘Alptraum of Berlin’ was just a man who needed someone by his side. Hesitating for a moment, Oliver gently ran his fingers through the demon’s silvery white hair, “Gilbert, help me understand then…I want to help you as much as I need your help...I didn’t lie when I said I spoke to Winter. I have his memories and he started talking to me in my dreams because he wants to help you as well. So please, let’s help understand each other.”

_You’re not Winter, but your voice is so calming…it makes my chest warm up again..,_ the Prussian thought, holding back from nuzzling into the other. “Alright…I’ll talk to you since you’re stubbornness as brought you back so much.” _Why does my chest feel warm? I haven’t felt this for thousands of years...so why now? Who are you Oliver?_ Gilbert needed to know who was this young Englishman who looked so similar to Winter and why he was drawn to him like this. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm no longer updating this fic!!!

Gilbert wasn't ready to pull away from Oliver's side just yet - he enjoyed the smaller man's warmth close to his larger body. He pulled the other to the bed, nearly cuddling him close but treated Oliver as if he'll break him with one wrong move. The Brit was completely confused since just a little while ago, the Prussian was snarling and threatening him to leave him alone. Once both of them were settled down, Gilbert spoke up, "You make ask your questions now...I'm okay to answer them clearly now without hesitating." Blushing, Oliver figured out what to ask and spoke, "Right...well, I wanted to know how your life was before your met Winter and became like this. Surely you had a family and a normal life at the time..."

A soft sigh came from the demon as he leaned against the wall, looking forward, "It wasn't was a fun life nor a particular good one. I was born in the early 1300s in an small Prussian village where most people were very religious and very paranoid. I didn't know my parent because I was left on the footsteps of the local church but I was lucky enough to be taking in by the nuns. If you know your history, someone with me features should of been dead or would of been killed because of how different I was. The nuns raised me inside the church until I was old enough to help with cleaning - they didn't really like me but they tolerated me. Only one of them, Sister Maria, treated me like a normal human being than as a demon that needed to be killed. I became very close to her and saw her as a mother figure than a member of the church..." Gilbert's memories of past times were fuzzy but he would always remember Sister Maria and how gentle her voice and smile was. Thinking about her helped him keep his humanity and not completely lose his mind during the long years. "She was the one who gave me the iron cross and I've kept it close to me all these years. Anyways, outside of the church, the villagers weren't so nice as the ones in the church. They teased me, threw things at me, blamed me for all the mishaps that happened in the village - even when I wasn't even around they blamed me for their dead crops or something. I just took it and continued with my day but one day, after so much of it, I decided to run away from it all...I was tired of being afraid of the people in my village and their harsh words. It was late autumn when I left and I figured if the people didn't kill me eventually, the cold and hunger will. Eleven years old and I was already prepared for death - I knew I was never going to have a normal life like everyone else. No one would have accepted a white haired, red eyed child into their home or town."

Oliver listened closely, remembering how people who were quite different were usually outlasts or killed at birth because of religion. Hearing Gilbert actually experiencing that made him frown  - those people probably caused deep, emotional scars that I know the man isn't showing. _Gilbert...you've been hurt since you came into this world..._

"When all hope seemed lost and I was faraway from the village, I was found by Winter. He greeted me with a warm presence and the brightest smile I've ever seen; I didn't even noticed the wings at first because of that. He was curious as to why I was alone and I quickly told him what happened, not even thinking to ask why he was there really. At this time, he didn't have name, so I was the one who named him Winter because he came before the season started. He was my first first true friend and I didn't even care that he was an angelic being." The man couldn't help but chuckle, "He helped me survive and take care of myself - he helped me build this home, gather my own food, and he...he saved my life when I was ready to give it up. To be honest, hundreds of years past, and I still have no idea how to properly thank him for what he did."

 _I had to help him...he had a lot of potential,_ Winter's voice softly spoke in the Brit's mind, _Gilbert needed help and I needed to help a human as part of my training_. Oliver blinked and looked at the Prussian man, "Did Winter stay with you after helping you survive the winter time?"

"Nein. Once spring came around, he told me he had to leave to finish his training as a guardian angel. I was angry that he had to go because I finally didn't feel so alone but I knew he had to so I let him go;little did I know that the angel will be gone for nearly 10 years. Ten years that I spent building this home better, gathering food, becoming a strong young man by the time I was 21. After a few years, I gave up hope on seeing Winter again, but I couldn't be angry at him - he gave me a second chance at life and hope to survive. Then, one day, he came back; he was older now with larger wings, new clothes, and that same cheerful smile he had when he first came to me." Claw hands reached up and gently held Oliver's face, making both of their eyes meeting. "This face...this same, innocent face that's been imprinted in my mind for hundreds of years. You already know the rest of the story and you must know why I was so cold when we first met. I lost my love and I couldn't bare to go through that again but now you're here..."

 _Please love him, Oliver...he needs love and care..._ , the angel's voice whispered. _But how,Winter?  He's only see's you when he's looking at me like this..._ ,Oliver thought, answering the angel. _You have to convince him...Gilbert has already began to listen to you more so just talk to him..._ "Gilbert, I don't know what to say...you must know I am not Winter. I may have his memories but I am not Winter. I am Oliver, a whole different person, but I do want to help you, but I don't want to be in a position where I have to live up to another man's expectation. I'm not Winter, Gilbert...I could never be as angelic and good as hi- " Before he could finished, Gilbert's lips were on his, gently kissing him softly and catching Oliver off guard.

He pulled back to see the stunned Brit staring at him, seeing the cute pink blush on his face, gave a small smile. "Nein, you're not Winter, nor are you any where like him, You are Oliver - stubborn, hardheaded, man who has found a way to warm my heart." Gilbert took Oliver's hand and put it to his own chest,"I can feel warmth in my chest again and it's thanks to you, Oliver."

"I-I don't understand. Why did you...?" 

"Why did I kiss you? Well, it's because I have been a fool for not listening to you in the first place. I'm falling for you, Oliver Kirkland, and I am starting to realize that both Winter and you are two different people." The demon pulled the smaller man into a hug, feeling his body getting warmer than it's been in a long time. "I want you close to me...and if it means fighting off those damn angels, well, I'll fight until I see you safe and smiling happily. Forgive me for my past rudeness and for not realizing you've only been trying to help..."

Oliver was shocked at what the other was saying to him and couldn't help but return the hug. His eyes widened at the other continued to speak, surprised at how tender the other man was with him. "I forgive your,Gilbert...I want to be happy but I can't be when those other angels are after me and want to kill me. James can't stall them forever and I need your help..."

A deep, animal like growl came from the Prussian as he held the other a little tighter, "Those giant pigeons won't lay a finger on you. I will make sure they breathe their last breaths before I end them."

The Brit kept quiet, oddly feeling safe in the other man's arms - even though, he was slightly scared of the claws and the occasional slip with Gil's feral side. He'll keep an eye on the Prussian but for now, he was relieved to know Gilbert would help him. Oliver didn't move from Gilbert's side, only looking at him and blushing when the other occasionally nuzzled into him.

"Tell me, Oliver," the thick accented voice spoke up, "Do you have anyone close to you..." Oliver looked at Gilbert then back down to look at his feet,"No...not really. I've never had anyone close to me like Winter was to you...most people saw me as a good friend and nothing more. I didn't mind it though...I rather make sure my friends are happy anyways..." 

"You deserve to be happy too.. To have someone close to you and love you..."

Oliver blushed and smiled, "That would be nice,but I really haven't had anyone take interest in me. Well, accept my friend who wanted to take things way too fast and got mad when I told him to leave me alone."

The Prussian held him tighter and nuzzled into the soft pink hair, "Good..I will keep you then and if anyone tries to mess with you, I'll come after them." Oliver liked the sound of that and wished they didn't have all this trouble coming up behind them. besides the bad start and his looks. Gilbert wasn't scary at all - just misunderstood and lonely for what has happened to him. What will happen to them now? What if those angels never stop coming after him or they kill Gilbert? Will Gilbert become human if they were gone? He still had questions swarming his head but for now, the Brit ignored them to settled into Gilbert's warm body. 

Gilbert glanced at the window. seeing the new frost appear on the glass, "That snow storm is getting worse...You might have to stay here a little longer than just a few more hours."

Oliver smiled and leaned against the larger man, "I don't mind that at all..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm no


End file.
